Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang

The centipedes were undoubtedly intelligent—almost unnervingly so.

No, they seemed to understand human speech.

Before a wooden tub prepared by the maids, steam gently rising from the water sprinkled with flower petals, I looked at the centipedes crawling up my arm.

“Guys, I think I need a bath. This hot water probably isn’t good for you. Could you wait over there for a bit? I’ll be done soon.”

As I gestured to a smaller wooden tub the maids had provided, the centipedes scurried down my arm, one after another. They climbed into the little tub, their movements deliberate, almost as if they were inspecting their surroundings. Then, as I submerged myself in the bath, they tilted their tiny heads, watching me with what felt like curiosity—reminiscent of mongooses or meerkats standing upright to observe their environment.

‘Fascinating.’

Most centipedes lack functional eyes; even species with what appear to be eyes typically don’t have the genes necessary to perceive light. Modern research suggests they use their antennae to sense heat, functioning somewhat like rudimentary vision. But that doesn’t mean they can "see" in the way we do—at best, they can detect light and shadow.

Moreover, these centipedes hadn’t even molted yet, meaning their translucent yellow bodies and undeveloped eyes shouldn’t allow them to observe anything clearly.

Yet here they were, staring at me as if they could see perfectly.

“Hey, don’t stare at me like that while I’m undressed. It’s embarrassing.”

As if they understood, the centipedes turned to look at one another and then cautiously curled up inside their tub, hiding themselves from view.

‘They really understand me.’

Convinced of their unusual nature, I decided I’d need to investigate further and figure out exactly what kind of creatures they were. For now, I sank deeper into the warm water, letting it soothe my travel-weary body.

‘I should ask Deputy Gu Pae about what “spiritual beasts” really are. He kept calling them that, after all.’

After a long soak, I felt much better. Later, I sat in the pavilion located in the back garden of the eastern quarters, enjoying the cool breeze while letting my damp hair dry.

That’s when I heard footsteps.

• Tap, tap, tap.

Someone was rushing somewhere with purpose.

Soon, a familiar figure crossed my line of sight: the Tang clan leader’s daughter.

Clad in fine robes, her face slightly flushed from the exertion, she was heading toward my quarters. But as her gaze landed on me, sitting idly in the pavilion, she froze, her expression one of surprise.

Then, as if making a sudden decision, she changed direction and walked straight toward me.

‘Huh?’

She stopped in front of me, her cheeks a soft shade of pink, and spoke in a hurried tone.

“Excuse me, young warrior. I have an urgent request. Could you… give me your hand for a moment?”

‘What?’

Her sudden demand caught me completely off guard. Was this some bold, assertive noblewoman?

She didn’t waste time with pleasantries—she went straight to asking for my hand.

But this was a traditional society, much like an ancient drama. Touching a woman’s hand would be considered an intimate act. Even though I didn’t mind, I couldn’t help but feel nervous. After all, her father—the clan leader—was nearby.

Even in a situation as urgent as this, weren’t there proper stages to becoming closer to someone?

‘I mean, I’d prefer my first experience with something like this to be romantic, even if it’s just holding hands. I’m a romantic, after all.’

Clearing my throat, I tried to respond calmly.

“Ahem… I’m not sure why this is so urgent, but shouldn’t we get to know each other a little better before doing something so… intimate? I mean, I wouldn’t mind, but—”

Her expression froze, and her cheeks turned crimson before she snapped back in a sharp voice.

“Wh-what?! That’s not what I meant!”

“Whoa! I-I’m sorry!”

Her shout startled me, and I quickly raised my hands in apology.

With her face flushed red and her voice slightly trembling, she explained, “I didn’t mean it that way. I just wanted to check your pulse.”

“Oh… Oh! I-I see! I’m so sorry! I misunderstood!”

‘Pulse? Did she study medicine? Is she planning to prescribe me some tonic after all the traveling?’

I felt a wave of embarrassment wash over me. I’d let my imagination run wild, and now I’d completely botched my first impression—again.

But to my surprise, she apologized too, her tone somewhat twisted with guilt.

“I suppose it was my fault for asking so abruptly. I can see how you might have misunderstood… though I’m not entirely sure what you were thinking.”

Her gaze, sharp and unimpressed, seemed to pierce right through me.

‘She must think I’m some presumptuous brat.’

“W-well, it wasn’t anything strange, I promise!”

As I stumbled over my words, she sighed, her tone softening.

“My father told me earlier. You’re aware of his intentions, right?”

“Intentions? Do you mean about…?”

“That he wants to take you as my husband.”

“Oh, yes… I did hear something about that…”

It seemed the reason she had come to see me was to address her father’s sudden decision. Understandably, she was upset. After all, who wouldn’t be?

“I don’t know about you, but I’m not very happy about this arrangement. Yes, you saved both my father and me, and I will repay that debt. But being treated like some kind of gift to be handed over? That doesn’t sit well with me.”

Her anger was palpable, and I couldn’t blame her.

To lighten the mood, I tried to joke.

“Oh, I completely understand. If my father suddenly picked up a skinny orphan and told me to marry them, I’d probably think he’d lost his mind too.”

Her eyes widened, and she stammered, “N-no, that’s not what I meant! It has nothing to do with your appearance or your circumstances. It’s just that this is an internal Tang Clan matter…”

Realizing she thought I might have taken offense, I quickly reassured her.

“No, no, I get it. I know you didn’t mean it that way.”

“…? How can you be so sure? We’ve only known each other for a few hours.”

I smiled, shrugging lightly.

“Call it intuition. Besides, someone who didn’t care wouldn’t apologize.”

She blinked, seemingly taken aback, before a small smile graced her lips.

Her expression softened, and she carefully sat down beside me.

“Let me apologize again. I barged in and acted rudely, and I should have been more considerate. But I’d like to be honest with you about why I came here.”

“Honest? About what?”

She began explaining her family situation—the distinction between the direct and branch families of the Tang Clan, her unique position as the only direct descendant of her generation, and the pressure her father faced to take a concubine to ensure the family line.

“But your father didn’t, because you were enough?”

“Yes. The Tang Clan has a tradition of taking a son-in-law instead. It’s a way for daughters to carry on the family name.”

“Oh, I see… a son-in-law…”

The task of continuing the family line has now fallen upon my older sister.

The Sacheon Tang Clan, known for its expertise in poisons, has a long-standing tradition of bringing in son-in-laws to maintain its secrets. Since the clan head refused to take a second wife, the responsibility to continue the lineage shifted to my sister.

If my sister marries and has a child, that child will inherit the leadership of the Sacheon Tang Clan.

However, my sister, having endured the torment and meddling of collateral family members, wanted something that would put them in their place—be it martial arts or marriage.

With martial arts, I could help. The remaining task was finding her a husband.

My sister insisted that her partner must at least possess exceptional martial talent.

"Talent, huh? You mean something akin to natural ability?"

My sister’s desire for a partner with strong martial potential wasn’t just for her benefit but also for their own sake.

Martial potential dictates one’s limits—what heights they can reach. Martial arts hold immense value in the martial world, and thus, potential is highly regarded.@@novelbin@@

As the standing in the clan depends on one’s martial arts achievements, even as a son-in-law, they would need outstanding potential to hold their head high within the clan.

The constant oppression from the collateral families had been relentless.

"…So I must apologize in advance, but I’d like to test your potential. Of course, even if your potential doesn’t match my hopes, I won’t drive you away. You’re my benefactor, after all. You’re already a guest of the clan—or perhaps, we could become sworn siblings? I’ll ask Father to ensure our clan supports you for life. So…”

In short, my sister was pragmatic. Even if the candidate wasn’t already accomplished, she wanted someone with the potential to master the most valuable aspect of the martial world: martial arts.

"Hmm… My sister is more realistic than I thought."

For someone born into a great clan, it wasn’t surprising. After all, marriages in such families were often more about business than romance.

"I understand what you mean. Very well, go ahead and check."

Nodding at her explanation, I extended my arm.

My sister hesitated, blinking in confusion at my outstretched wrist.

"Are you sure? Is this really okay?"

"Of course. If you’d like to check, please feel free."

"What if I lie and say your potential is poor because I don’t like you?"

"You wouldn’t do that, would you?"

My sister stared at me, then cautiously reached out and grabbed my wrist.

The moment her hand touched my wrist, I felt a flash of light before my eyes and an odd sensation, as if something briefly left and returned to my mind. It was a strange, unexplainable feeling—like something small had slipped deep into my body.

"What’s wrong?"

"Ah, nothing. It hasn’t started yet, right?"

"Not yet."

"Then please proceed."

Although the sensation was odd, I collected myself as my sister closed her eyes and focused intently.

A faint tingling followed, and I could feel something flowing into me through her grip.

"This is… quite the peculiar sensation."

After what felt like the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, my sister opened her eyes, her first words surprisingly hopeful.

"The martial arts of the Tang Clan aren’t for just anyone. While some can’t learn poison arts at all, fortunately, you have the capability to learn them."

"Oh! That’s promising!"

But just as I felt a glimmer of hope, her following words crushed my spirit.

"However, it seems your limit is the Ten-Poison Realm (십독지경). Within the Tang Clan, we categorize bodies that can handle poison, and yours appears to fall under the Ten-Poison Body (십독지체)."

"What?! Ten-Poison Realm? Ten-Poison Body? I did spend my previous life dabbling with poisonous creatures like centipedes and snakes, but can they actually detect something like that?"

Her words shocked me, but I quickly realized it wasn’t ten virtues (십덕) but ten poisons (십독).

In other words, my body could manage ten types of poison.

**"The levels are Five-Poison (오독), Ten-Poison (십독), Hundred-Poison (백독), Thousand-Poison (천독), and Ten-Thousand-Poison (만독). As one’s internal energy deepens, the body must adapt to accommodate more poisons to reach the highest levels. Your body, however, can only handle ten.

While being a Ten-Poison Body is exceptional for someone outside the Tang Clan, in the grand scheme of the martial world, it’s merely the limit for a first-rate martial artist—a ceiling for ordinary individuals without innate talent."**

The words hit hard.

It felt like being told outright that I lacked talent.

Whether it was "ten virtues" or "ten poisons," it was clear—I wasn’t the right match for my sister.

To make matters worse, the clan head had mentioned that capturing the Zimjo bird required achieving the Ten-Thousand-Poison Realm (만독지경). With Ten-Poison, I was two whole stages away, a gap that felt like a thousandfold difference.

My dreams shattered instantly.

My sister, noticing my expression, quietly withdrew.

It seemed she realized I needed time to process everything.

As she left, I noticed the sunset painting the sky red. Normally quiet, the O-Gong centipedes peeked out from my sleeves.

"Chrrr…"

Their soft sounds seemed almost sympathetic.

I muttered quietly to myself.

"Guys… So I’m just a Ten-Poison… No, that’s fine. But really… Was I just rejected without even confessing?"

Looking back, this marked my first rejection since reincarnation: zero confessions, one rejection.

Unfairly so, it felt.

***

At dinner, no one said a word about it.

I thought my sister might have mentioned something privately to the elders, but it seemed they were completely unaware of what had transpired.

The meal was cheerful and harmonious, with my sister showing no signs of concern.

And then, that night.

I distinctly remember falling asleep in the accommodations the Tang Clan had prepared for me. Yet, when I woke up, I found myself in a forest.

To my shock, my sister appeared before me, bowing deeply and weeping.

"Hic… Hic… Thank you for your boundless kindness and grace."

In my arms, three young girls, their fingers in their mouths, clung to my clothes. They looked up at my sister with fear in their wide eyes.

"What kind of trickery is this?"