Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang

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Chapter 3: The Bug Encounter

“It’s a bit surprising that Dang Cheolsan knows medicine,” I thought as I followed the village chief to his house, asking one of the warriors from the Four Heavenly Houses.

From what I had heard while living together, the Four Heavenly Houses was a clan from Sichuan that specialized in martial arts.

But their specialty was quite peculiar, focusing on poisons, right?

In other words, a clan that researched and honed the art of killing people using poison.

It felt like a notorious assassination family or something!

So, I was hit with a pretty low score on my interview evaluations.

However, if the Four Heavenly Houses were skilled in medicine as well, it would seem they could learn to heal rather than just kill with their deadly poisons.

Even if they were niche, they could pivot their skills in that direction.

After all, isn’t it up to the person to determine their path?

‘The medical expertise of the Four Heavenly Houses. That’s impressive!’

[But is it really medical expertise?]

As I gave a questioning look to the warrior of the Four Heavenly Houses, he smiled and answered me earnestly about whether I truly wanted to join.

“The martial arts of the Four Heavenly Houses are based on poison techniques, so we are naturally well-versed in medicine. There’s a strong connection between medicine and poison. Moreover, martial arts begin with understanding the body, so we have a certain amount of medical knowledge.”

“To harm others, you must understand the body well,” he continued.

“Well, our clan must be knowledgeable about how poisons react in a human body, so we even catch bad guys to try out the poisons on them. That’s why we are certainly more knowledgeable about medicine than other clans.”

“Ah… I see?”

The warriors were trying hard to convince me to join the Four Heavenly Houses, even using honorifics.

But after listening to his explanation, the image of the Four Heavenly Houses in my mind morphed into a clan that studies and experiments on the human body to kill people.

It was turning out to be a bunch of psycho killers plotting large-scale massacres with poisons.

‘Researching human anatomy to kill well… Interview score -50. Crazy human experimentation, interview score -100. This clan is totally psychopathic. But community support +3 points.’

In the end, aside from some almost magical lightness skills and community support, the interview score for the Four Heavenly Houses kept dropping.

While I evaluated my impressions of the clan in my mind, upon arrival at the village chief’s house, I saw Dang Cheolsan placing his hand on a child’s chest, doing something, and the rapidly breathing child calmed down and let out a deep sigh.

– Phew…

Whatever method he used, Dang Cheolsan had stabilized the child’s breath.

He wiped his forehead and said to the chief, “For now, I’ve infused some internal energy into him to prevent suffocation.”

“Th-thank you! My only remaining granddaughter, please save her!”

But again, he scrutinized the chief’s granddaughter for a while, showing a look of confusion.

“However, it’s strange. There’s a dysrhythmia.”

“What, what does that mean?”

‘If it’s a dysrhythmia, then is it a heart condition?’

I wasn’t a medic, but my past life as a poison and insect specialist gave me some medical knowledge.

So, I kind of got a grasp of what Dang Cheolsan was explaining.

“It means her heart isn’t beating correctly. Didn’t this start from the moment the child was born?”

‘Ah, so you’re asking if it’s a heart disease.’

“Of course. It has been six months already, and suddenly people started to suffer like this. We call it a strange disease. That’s why I asked you all to turn back at the village entrance.”

Even though they seemed to be a relatively kind tribe, I wondered why they treated us so coolly; it seemed that the plight of the village was the reason. After hearing his explanation, Dang Cheolsan nodded in agreement.

“It doesn’t seem like a contagious disease, so that’s a relief. But to save the child, we must also check on others. Could you gather those suffering from the same strange ailment?”

“Of course!”

Relieved, I felt because among the infectious diseases I knew, there was none that damaged the heart.

As the chief directed, sick villagers began to gather in front of the chief’s house, and Dang Cheolsan started to check their pulses.

However, after examining all the patients and noting their symptoms on paper, he shook his head, showing a look of confusion.

“We have weakness, swollen eyes, dysrhythmia, slight fever, but the symptoms don’t match. It’s puzzling that those with severe symptoms seem to have heart problems.”

Some had fatigue and fevers, while others showed eye swelling with dysrhythmia, and all those with severe symptoms seemed to have heart issues.

Hearing this, the village chief asked with fear in his eyes, “Is it… incurable?!”

“For now, I’ll write down some remedies that are good for the heart, so please gather them quickly. Let’s try some medicine.”

However, like someone who had studied medicine, Dang Cheolsan deftly avoided the core issue, saying he would treat them symptomatically.

Not knowing the cause, he planned to try symptomatic treatment, but the chief saw it as a glimmer of hope and rushed to gather the villagers for herbal remedies.

“Everyone, gather! The doctor has asked us to find medicine!”

*

The reason I couldn’t just pass by someone else’s business.

It was because seeing the sick little girl reminded me of Hua Eun from Sichuan.

‘I-I’m sorry. Father, I-I’ve been unfilial.’

The daughter with a pale face who said she was sorry after failing to cultivate martial arts and getting poisoned.

Thinking of that face made it impossible for me to just walk away.

Thus, Dang Cheolsan earnestly took care of the child.

He knew better than anyone a parent’s heart when their daughter or granddaughter is ill.

And while caring for the child, he made medicines and rinsed the eyes of those with visual problems, applying salves.

He even made a fever-reducing powder for those with feverish symptoms.

After checking all the sick, it had gotten dark outside.

A warrior from the Tang Clan approached with a damp towel.

“Clan Head, you should wipe your face. You’ve worked hard.”

“Thank you, Gu Pae.”

“No need for thanks.”

The person who handed me the towel was Gu Pae, the Deputy Commander of the Poison Blood Team.

He was a figure of virtue, respected by the clan’s warriors.

He had stayed behind here because he got injured saving other warriors who were in danger during the capture of the Blue-Spotted Centipede.

“By the way, where’s the Little One?”

“Oh, she seemed to be exhausted after helping out, so I laid her down in the room.”

“I see, after traveling with us for days without mastering martial arts, she must be exhausted. So, what did you think of the Little One in the time you’ve observed her?”

Dang Cheolsan asked Gu Pae about Wei So-ryong.

He wanted to understand the character of the possible future son-in-law, as his personality mattered just as much as his skills.

“She’s still not a member of the Four Heavenly Houses yet, so can I speak honestly?”

“Of course.”

Nodding because that was precisely what Dang Cheolsan wanted, Gu Pae began to recount his experiences with the Little One.

“First, she’s an orphan living alone in the jungles of Haenam, nurturing venomous creatures. She’s certainly an extraordinary person. At that age, it’s natural to yearn for companionship.”

“Indeed, the Little One is extraordinary.”

“Yes, but unlike the oddities of the Martial World, I’d say her character isn’t unrefined. While she’s not ordinary, she doesn’t seem cruel or malicious either.”

“Considering she even released some of the venomous creatures she raised before coming here; she definitely doesn’t have a cruel nature. Great! Then she’s perfectly suitable to be my daughter-in-law, right?”

At that, Gu Pae bowed his head.

“Yes, but… there’s something concerning…”

When he said it was concerning after insisting she was fine, Dang Cheolsan tilted his head in response.

“What seems to be the issue? You just said she was fine.”

“It’s about her talents…”

Dang Cheolsan also knew.

The Little One was only fourteen or fifteen.

It was quite late to start mastering martial arts, and he was aware that her talents were not particularly outstanding.

But since Hua Eun was there for martial arts, and the Little One’s value wasn’t solely in martial arts, he shook his head.

Just her talents alone could elevate the martial arts of the Tang Clan significantly.

No, it was certain it could lead to great growth.

“Don’t worry. The Little One’s value is not just in that. Haven’t we all seen it? The venomous creatures she raised?”

“Yes, but… for the Lady’s partner, it’d be better if they were exceptional in every way…”

“Ha ha, you’re quite greedy. Anyone would think you’re Hua Eun’s father.”

“I apologize, Clan Head.”

Gu Pae’s words stemmed from his concern for the Tang Clan and Hua Eun.

At that, Dang Cheolsan smiled gently.

It showed how much Gu Pae cared for the Tang Clan and Hua Eun.

And after finishing his thoughts about the Tang Clan and Hua Eun, his gaze turned to the girl still lying unconscious.

“By the way, this girl is in big trouble.”

While I had used the fever-reducing powder to lower her temperature and made medicines to boost her energy, I hadn’t identified the root cause.

If I couldn’t solve the heart issue, the dysrhythmia would return.

If I were to leave, I wouldn’t be able to guarantee her life at that point.

“Have you not found the cause?”

“Not at all. As you know, there are few who have read as many medical texts as I have in the Tang Clan. However, I’ve never seen or heard of a disease like this.”

“We can’t just stay here indefinitely, this is a serious issue!”

“Indeed. Would you like to try examining it yourself?”

With a glimmer of hope, I checked Gu Pae’s pulse, but after feeling the girl’s pulse, Gu Pae shook his head.

“I have no idea whatsoever.”

In the end, both of us struggled to think of a solution, but nothing came to mind.

Night fully fell, and bugs began to fly in with the lantern light outside.

“Oh, I need to check on my son-in-law to see if he’s sleeping well. With these bugs flying in, it feels like the jungles of Yunnan,” I said.

“I will escort you. This way, please. You guys look after the Little One.”

“Yes, Sub Commander.”

After leaving the Little One with another warrior, we arrived at the room where my soon-to-be son-in-law was sleeping.

As I looked at the face of the young man sleeping under the flickering lamp, a warm feeling filled my heart.

But then, I heard a sound of fluttering insects, and one bug landed on his forehead, slowly crawling towards his lips.

‘No, that bug!’

If my son-in-law was bitten by that bug, it would be dire.

There are many types of venomous insects in Haenam that I didn’t know about.

Thus, racing toward him, I swung my hand with all my might at the bug.

– Smash!

How dare it try to bite my son-in-law, I couldn’t let that happen!

“Wahh!”

However, during my desperate attempt to catch the unruly bug, I’d forgotten that it was crawling on my son-in-law’s face.

As a result, he woke up, clutching his red cheek and looking at me with reproachful eyes.

“What, what was that?! Ouch, it hurts!”

Awakened in the dead of night to an unexpected slap, he would be both confused and indignant.

I scratched my head, trying to explain, “I-I’m sorry. I was catching a bug that was crawling on your face… it was an accident.”

“No, elder! I’ll catch the bug first! Ouch, my cheek!”

“I’m really sorry! I didn’t mean to hit you. The bug was there on your cheek, and I swung my hand… look, it’s such a big bug, right?”

As I tried to justify my actions, I held out the giant bug I had caught, still sticking to my palm.

Luckily, my soon-to-be son-in-law’s reproachful gaze turned toward the bug instead of me.

But something strange happened.

Looking closely at the bug, my soon-to-be son-in-law’s eyes widened as he pulled his face closer to the bug clinging to my palm.

And eventually, he dragged my hand next to the lantern, an odd question slipped out from him.

“Wh-what is this? Why are these bugs here?!”

There was something wrong with these bugs being here; it was significant.

I cautiously asked him, “What kind of bug is this?”

He looked up at me, “This is a Kiss Bug! I mean, in the Central Plains, it’s called… wait! This is a Kiss Bug!”

“A Kiss Bug?!”

A bug that kisses… the name of such a lewd bug made me open my eyes wide.