Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang

—Chirp. Chirp.

I opened my eyes to the noisy sound of birdsong. Light was streaming in from somewhere.

Two warm sensations pressed against my eyelids.

As my vision cleared, all I saw was flesh-colored softness.

I tilted my head slightly, and between two skin-toned hills, I saw Hwa-eun’s face.

Gasp!

The moment I realized what I was resting on, I jolted in shock.

I had felt that sensation indirectly many times before, but never this directly — without even a single layer of cloth in between.

Ah... no, it’s fine now, isn’t it? Hm... In that case, I might as well enjoy it properly. Heheh.

But thinking about it, we were married now — this was allowed.

So I buried my face back into the warmth.

And knowing that this was something I had nurtured myself made it all the more comforting.

Nice... I definitely made the right choice. I’m satisfied.

Feeling that warmth, I recalled the moment last night when So-ryong became Daeryong.

My honest impression: children’s firm little bodies were nice and all, but they didn’t compare to a woman’s body.

As I basked in that softness, I suddenly felt a gaze on the crown of my head.

Is it Bini again!? Damn it, she thinks babies come from staring at the sky with Mom and Dad — why does she keep interrupting!?

Panicked, I looked toward the top of my head — only to find Hwa-eun’s blushing face gazing down at me.

Meeting eyes in such an embarrassing position — it made me freeze.

Unable to say anything, I stiffened. Hwa-eun awkwardly smiled and spoke.

“So-ryong really l-likes them, huh?”

“Ahaha... ha... well... only because they’re yours, Hwa-eun.”

I couldn’t exactly say I didn’t like them, so I laughed awkwardly. Hwa-eun reached out and stroked my cheek.

But the moment her hand and eyes met mine, the mood shifted.

“So-ryong...”

“Hwa-eun...”

In my past life, I’d heard that newlyweds would spark just from locking eyes.

Back then, I thought that was an exaggeration.

People weren’t animals. That stuff about flipping the dinner table because your eyes met — that had to be too much, right?

But maybe it did apply to us. The moment our eyes met, it was like a spark ignited, and we immediately clung to each other.

Like our bodies had burst into flames.

—Smack.

Our lips met just as our bodies moved.

But just then — an untimely voice interrupted from outside.

“So-ryong, young lady — have you awakened?”

It was Unmirang.

Hwa-eun turned her head and shouted out toward the door, clearly disappointed.

“Mm! Y-yeah, Unmirang.”

“Shall I bring in water for your morning wash?”

“W-wait a moment!”

Hearing the offer to bring in water, we both panicked and scrambled to gather our clothes.

But we couldn’t.

Because the clothes we had — we had ripped them to shreds last night.

We’d been in such a hurry after Bini’s interruption that we tore each other’s garments apart like maniacs.

“Ah. The underclothes...”

In the Central Plains, people wore inner and outer garments. But our underclothes had become tatters.

Hwa-eun’s hastily thrown-on clothes looked like a bikini, and mine — even though I hadn’t been attacked by a bear — were slashed and torn like I’d been mauled.

I was a beast last night... or maybe Hwa-eun was?

Seeing each other like that made our faces flush again.

We had definitely gone overboard.

“H-ha... maybe the fabric got worn out?”

I offered a clumsy excuse. Hwa-eun nodded, equally awkward.

“...I-I suppose so.”

“So what do we do now?”

We couldn’t just sit there like this. As I pondered, Hwa-eun calmed herself and tiptoed to the door, then whispered to Unmirang outside.

“Unmirang, could you bring us some clothes?”

“Clothes?”

“...”

“Oh my! T-the first night of martial artists really is something, huh?”

When Hwa-eun silently handed out a strip of shredded clothing, Unmirang bolted like lightning.

—Tap tap tap tap.

We looked at each other again, faces flushed. Then, looking down at each other’s torn clothes, sparks flew again.

Without thinking, I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around Hwa-eun’s waist.

“Eek. S-So-ryong. Unmirang will be back any second.”

Hwa-eun’s flustered voice.

But she didn’t reject my sneaky suggestion.

“Then just until she comes back?”

“...”

She nodded silently, and we resumed our kiss — only to be interrupted by Unmirang’s return.

“Young lady! I’ve brought your clothes! I’m coming in!”

That girl — she hadn’t even trained in light footwork, but she was way too fast.

We’d only just finished kissing.

***

Hwa-eun and I got dressed and ate breakfast together.

Just the two of us.

Normally, martial households started their day at dawn, but we’d slept in until the sun was already high, so only we were eating.

When I asked Unmirang why she hadn’t woken us, she said the elders had told her to let us sleep until we woke up.

“Let’s finish eating and go greet Grandfather and Father, So-ryong.”

“Yes, Hwa-eun.”

Even while eating, our legs brushed under the table — and just then, our three daughters burst into the chamber.

—Sssslrrp. 『Dad, where’s the baby?』

—Sssst. 『Mom, where’s the baby?』

They came in, circled around us once, and all asked about the baby.

Suddenly asking “Where’s the baby?” put us in a very awkward position. I had to struggle to explain that babies took time to grow.

“Well, you see, Mommy needs to... um... grow it inside her tummy first...”

Anyway, after breakfast, we followed Hwa-eun’s suggestion and went to pay our respects to the elders.

Even if we were late, we couldn’t skip the formal greetings.

This was my first official visit as a true son-in-law, after all.

“Shall I send word ahead to the inner hall?”

“Yes, Master So-ryong!”

First, we headed to greet Grandfather Tang Mu-seong, then proceeded to the clan leader’s residence.

When we asked for a message to be sent inside, a guard immediately called out from the entrance.

“Clan Leader, Master So-ryong and Lady Hwa-eun have arrived!”

“Let them in.”

“Yes, sir!”

As we entered through the doors opened by the guards, Father-in-law looked up from what seemed like some paperwork and smiled mischievously at us.

With the intuition of one man to another, I had a strong feeling he was about to start teasing me.

Sure enough, his playful tone came out immediately.

“Well, well. If it isn’t my son-in-law? You look exhausted, son-in-law. On the other hand, Hwa-eun’s face is positively glowing! Hwa-eun, if you keep this up, our son-in-law might die.”

“Father!”

“Not at all, Father-in-law! I’m still overflowing with energy!”

“Is that so? Haha. Now that the two of you are properly married, it reminds me of something.”

“Reminds you of what?”

“You called my Hwa-eun a weed once, remember? Back then, I thought you were just some eccentric who wasn’t interested in women. Guess I was wrong, huh? Hahahaha!”

As Father-in-law joked, Hwa-eun groaned and cringed several times in embarrassment.

Soon, he had tea brought in and asked what our plans were going forward.

“So then, when are you planning to head back to the Beast Palace?”

We had already discussed staying there during the winter for the sake of the children and returning in spring. He was asking when we’d leave.

The sooner the better — I wanted the children to be somewhere warm as soon as possible.

“I’m thinking we’ll depart as soon as we can. Would that be alright?”

“Why wouldn’t it be? But when you return, you’d better stay home for a while. You’ll need to start learning the affairs of the clan.”

When I said we’d leave quickly, he readily agreed but told me to get involved in clan matters when I returned.

“Yes, Father-in-law. Though... is there something specific I need to learn?”

I asked, wondering what new things I might need to pick up. He nodded.

“Of course, man. You and Hwa-eun will be leading this family someday — there’s no end to what you need to know.

From family affairs to relations between great clans, clan council meetings, the political landscape of the martial world... there’s a lot.”

Just hearing it made my head spin a little.

I thought I’d find a way to push some of it off onto Hwa-eun and nodded.

“Understood. I-I’ll do my best.”

Then came the follow-up:

“Seems like you really enjoyed the wedding night. You’re full of energy. That’s a good thing. Oh, and I don’t know if Hwa-eun mentioned it...”

I looked over at Hwa-eun at that line, and she had the face of someone who had completely forgotten to deliver a message.

It was clear there was something she was supposed to tell me but didn’t. Father-in-law caught on and smiled.

“Must’ve been overwhelmed by the wedding. Anyway, it’s nothing too big. In our Tang Clan, when a son-in-law is officially married in, he commands the Eradication Unit for about three years. The unit leader will be °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° dropping by to greet you. You should at least meet once formally.

You’ll get to know him and the details later, but it’s proper to exchange greetings.”

“The Eradication Unit?”

I flinched.

Wasn’t the Eradication Unit the Tang Clan’s elite assassination squad?

I’d heard they dealt with anyone foolish enough to challenge the clan.

Is this a full-on assassination assignment now that I’m officially the son-in-law!?

I felt like I’d be sent out on a mission soon, and as I grew tense, Father-in-law continued.

“That’s right. Traditionally, the son-in-law leads the Eradication Unit for a while to establish the family’s prestige. It’s the Tang Clan’s custom.”

“But I already have the Venomous Creature Squad...”

“Well, that’s yours. Naturally, you’ll handle both.”

I tried to worm my way out by reminding him I already had the Venom Squad, but it wasn’t happening.

Worried, I asked:

“Is the Eradication Unit deployed often?”

Sure, I’d dealt with the Blood Cult and the Five Venoms Sect before, but professional assassination? That was new territory.

“Not very. Who would dare to openly provoke the Tang Clan?”

Whew. Thank goodness.

I was relieved to hear the unit didn’t go out often. Just then, Father-in-law suddenly stood up and walked over to his desk.

“Ah, come to think of it — you’re headed to Yunnan, right? Good. That works.”

“?”

He was rummaging through documents and sounded like he had a side errand for me. Soon, he found what he was looking for and brought it over.

“I was going to assign this after you got back, but now that you’re going to Yunnan, no reason to delay. Here.”

“An assignment?”

“Take a look. I’m guessing this is something you personally won’t want to let slide.”

“I... I see?”

Judging by that phrasing, it felt like someone was in serious need of a beating. I opened the documents he handed me — and found records about counterfeiters producing fake versions of our medicine.

Tang Clan medicine, no less.

Middle Kingdom nonsense never disappoints... you’d die if caught, and yet they dare fake Tang medicine?

In my past life, I’d heard that in China, tampering with food or medicine was punishable by death.

Yet plenty of people still died from that kind of fraud. Now there were people forging Tang Clan medicine?

These bastards had guts.

As I read, I saw something surprising.

“Wait... they say the fake version is more effective than ours?”

“That’s right.”

The counterfeit apparently worked better than the real thing.

No way... A ‘mistake of the continent’?

In my past life, there was a phrase — “Mistake of the Continent.”

When a knockoff turned out better than the original, they called it that.

This one was said to outperform our version.

My eyes dropped to the lower half of the document — and there it was.

Jidam Pill.

Huh? I made that one!

The very first pill I’d developed after arriving at the Tang Clan to elevate the family’s reputation — Jidam Pill.

Now someone was making counterfeits of it and selling them.

At that moment, Father-in-law added:

“They say the effects are too good. The user died standing upright. And supposedly the size is ridiculous...”

“...”

“You are to locate the ones selling these counterfeits under our name, deal with them according to Tang Clan law, and secure their manufacturing method.

We already recovered some samples from the market. The toxins were intense. The clan wants to find out where they’re getting that poison.”

Thank goodness the order was just to follow Tang Clan law — so, punishment then?

From the sound of it, this one really did fall under my jurisdiction.

They were using my creation to pull a scam, after all.

I was... also kind of curious about the size they mentioned.

Just how big are we talking?