Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang

As soon as I stepped foot through the grand Gujinmun gate, marking the entrance to the Tang Clan, people poured out to greet us.

They rushed forward, bowing to the clan leader and congratulating him on his safe return.

Since I hadn’t officially been introduced as part of the family yet, I trailed behind Deputy Commander Gu Pae, trying to stay unnoticed.

That’s when I heard the warriors calling out in unison.

“The young lady is coming down!”
“The young lady is arriving!”

Curious, I glanced past the deputy commander’s shoulder toward the mountain ridge. A woman clad in crimson silk was descending gracefully, like a celestial maiden soaring through the air.

‘This is insane…’

It was as if the heavens themselves were shining down on her. Was she radiating light on her own?

Back in my past life, as a relatively successful YouTuber, I’d worked with plenty of beautiful women. Dangerous creatures like snakes and bugs made for surprisingly good content, and many actresses and influencers wanted to collaborate with me—either to showcase their bravery or to dramatize their fear.

I’d even filmed with the top three most beautiful actresses in Korea.

But this woman…

She was on an entirely different level.

Her presence, her aura—it was as if she transcended humanity itself.

If she stood among the women I’d met in my previous life, they’d all look like squid compared to her. No, worse—she’d reduce them to the shredded radish garnish under sashimi.

She was a walking, radiant goddess.

‘So this is the clan leader’s daughter? The lady of the Tang Clan must be a goddess herself… This family owes everything to her.’

I was busy marveling at how the Tang Clan’s fortunes seemed secured when the goddess herself landed lightly in front of the clan leader.

“Father!”
“Hwa-eun, are you feeling well?”
“Yes, Father. I’m so sorry.”
“It’s fine. You’re healthy now, and that’s all that matters. Ah, there’s someone I’d like to introduce to you.”

As she gracefully landed, the clan leader turned toward me. With his words, the deputy commander stepped aside, revealing my disheveled, pitiful appearance.

I hadn’t been able to properly wash for nearly a month, and it showed.

I wanted to crawl into a hole from embarrassment, but skipping introductions wasn’t an option—not for a rookie like me.

Standing before such beauty, I felt small, humbled, and utterly unworthy. I shuffled forward awkwardly, attempting to suppress my embarrassment, but the clan leader’s introduction only made it worse.

“Ah, So-ryong, this is my daughter, Tang Hwa-eun. She’s the one you called… what was it? A grass smell? A plant fragrance? Ah, yes—Weed Girl! That’s it.”

“What?!”
“Excuse me?!”

The warriors around us froze, their eyes darting between me and the clan leader in shock.

In my previous life, I’d heard countless stories of clueless CEOs making bad jokes that crushed their employees’ spirits, but I never thought I’d become one of those poor souls.

I’d been meticulous about everything before joining the Tang Clan, but apparently, I’d failed to assess the clan leader’s sense of humor.

‘So this is it—the infamous “boss humor” that only the boss finds funny, while everyone else suffers. The clan leader’s got a knack for this.’

The first impression I made on the clan leader’s daughter was officially ruined.

Her expression was a mix of confusion and dismay as she looked at me.

And why wouldn’t she be upset? Who in their right mind would like being called “Weed Girl”?

Even in my previous life, “weed” was a derogatory term for unattractive women.

‘Damn it! Is my life in the Tang Clan going to spiral into chaos because of this? Why did I even say she smelled like a plant?!’

Frantically, I tried to piece together when and why I’d said something so absurd.

If I could figure it out, I might be able to apologize—or at least deny it altogether.

「“...Not to brag, but my daughter is one of the Three Flowers of the Central Plains…”
“Wait a second!”
“What did you just say?”
“Hm? Oh, even though you’re young, you’re still a man, aren’t you? That’s right—my daughter, one of the Three Flowers of the Central Plains—”
“No, not that weed nonsense! I mean what you said before that!”」

“Ah…!”

‘No… No way. It can’t be. There’s no way, right? Right?!’

It was an absurd situation, one that felt beyond comprehension.

Judging by my memory, this goddess—no, the clan leader’s daughter—was supposed to be part of the rewards the clan leader had mentioned for helping the family.@@novelbin@@

‘Get a grip, Wei Su Long! Sure, she’s beautiful, and it’s natural for a man to daydream about marriage and kids when he sees someone like her. But this is ridiculous! She’s the daughter of the clan leader! There must be some misunderstanding.’

It was absurd to think a family as grand as the Tang Clan would offer someone like her to someone like me, a mere orphan.

I took a deep breath to compose myself and bowed deeply to break the awkwardness.

“C-Clan Leader, your humor is truly remarkable. It’s an honor to meet you, young lady. My name is Wei Su Long. I heard you were very ill, but seeing you healthy again brings me great relief.”

“…Oh. It’s nice to meet you. I’m Tang Hwa-eun, also called Poison Blossom (毒華). I can never forget the life-saving kindness you’ve shown me. This Poison Blossom will never forget your grace.”

After the strained introductions, the clan leader smiled warmly.

“Hwa-eun, you must repay this kindness for the rest of your life.”

“Yes, of course, Father. As a member of the Tang Clan, I will carve this grace into my very bones. I will treat this young warrior with the utmost respect as our savior.”

“That’s my daughter,” the clan leader said, beaming.

With that, the introductions ended, and the clan leader wrapped his arms around both his daughter and me, leading us up the steps into the heart of the Tang Clan.

As we walked, I heard the clan leader’s voice echoing in my mind.

[Well? What do you think of the rose? Do you want to pluck it?]

The clan leader had used Transmission, a martial arts technique to convey thoughts directly. I’d learned about it on the way here and had seen the deputy commander demonstrate it, so I recognized it immediately.

When I glanced up at the clan leader’s face, I was met with a mischievous grin.

‘W-Wait, is he serious? Is the rose… really her?’

My hand flew to cover my mouth in shock, and my head bobbed up and down instinctively, as though nodding in agreement.

I hadn’t meant to, but my nerves betrayed me.

Truly, this was going to be a long journey.

The awkward introduction, started by her father’s playful joke, finally came to an end.

When Hwa-eun first heard about the "mysterious young warrior," she had envisioned someone grand and noble. However, reality was quite different—his appearance was so pitiful that she couldn’t help but feel sorry for him.

The boy looked emaciated—thin, dressed in shabby clothes, and clearly worn out. Perhaps the journey had been too harsh, or maybe he hadn’t eaten well. Her grandfather had mentioned that he had survived in the mountains, living off snakes and lizards, and now it all made sense.

Yet, despite his rough appearance, his polite demeanor stood out. Hwa-eun found that particularly endearing. It reassured her that he wasn’t some unruly troublemaker.

Feeling relieved, she decided to treat him as a younger brother and resolved to take care of him. After all, he had saved her life—it was only natural to repay that debt.

She immediately instructed the servants to prepare rich meals for him and provide new clothes and proper baths. She even decided to personally ensure his well-being.

With these thoughts, Hwa-eun accompanied her father and the young warrior to the Four-Courtyard Pavilion (Sahapwon), where only the direct descendants of the Tang Clan resided.

At the entrance, her mother and grandfather were already waiting, their faces lighting up with joy at the clan leader’s return.

“You’ve returned?”

“I’ve returned, Father.”

“Well done. And young warrior, it’s been a while. Please treat this place as your home and rest comfortably.”

“It’s been a while, Elder. Thank you for your kind hospitality.”

“You’re back, my lord?” Hwa-eun’s mother asked gently.

“Yes, my lady. I trust you’ve been well? I must say, you’ve endured much in my absence.”

“Oh, it’s nothing compared to what you’ve endured. But is this the young warrior who saved Hwa-eun? Thank you, young warrior. The Tang Clan will never forget this debt.”

“Not at all. I didn’t do much to deserve such gratitude, but I deeply appreciate your kindness.”

After the exchange of greetings, Hwa-eun’s mother prepared to lead the young warrior to the guest quarters.

“Servants, prepare a bath for our guest and assign him the finest room in the guesthouse—”

“My lady,” the clan leader interrupted, “give him one of the rooms on the eastern side instead.”

“What?! The rooms on the eastern side?”

The unexpected instruction shocked Hwa-eun’s mother, and even her grandfather raised his eyebrows in surprise.

“Are you saying we should house him in the rooms on the eastern side? That’s where the family shares the inner courtyard. It’s far too exclusive for a guest, even one as esteemed as this.”

The rooms on the eastern side were located deep within the Four-Courtyard Pavilion, past the inner gates. Only direct blood relatives had access to this area. Sharing that space with a guest was unheard of, especially since it also included Hwa-eun’s quarters.

“Father,” Hwa-eun interjected, “I understand this is an extraordinary gesture, but isn’t it a bit excessive?”

Her grandfather added, “Even for an honored guest, this decision seems too much. And Hwa-eun has yet to marry—”

The clan leader smiled and calmly responded.

“Allow me to explain. After we parted ways, there was a moment in the abandoned Daoist temple when I nearly lost my life.”

“What?!”

“You almost died?!”

The family gasped in shock.

To emphasize his point, the clan leader pulled out a book and placed it on the table.

“This… this is?”

“The martial manual of the Blood-Handed Rakshasa! How did you come by this cursed text?”

The Blood-Handed Rakshasa, Hwa-eun recalled, was a fearsome figure who had once fought her grandfather to a draw before being defeated.

“Tang Mu-seong left him for dead, but it seems he survived and hid away on Hainan Island,” the clan leader explained.

“That wretch… But how could you have possibly defeated him on your own?”

The clan leader shook his head.

“I didn’t. It was the young warrior who defeated him.”

“What?! That boy defeated the Blood-Handed Rakshasa?!”

The family listened in disbelief as the clan leader recounted how the young warrior had raised a brood of Blue-Spotted Centipedes and used them to overcome the Rakshasa.

He described the boy’s exceptional talent for controlling venomous creatures and identifying poisons, and how he had even diagnosed the source of a deadly disease plaguing Hainan—a parasitic infection caused by the Kissing Bug.

“He’s not just skilled; he’s extraordinary. A true treasure,” the clan leader said, smiling.

Finally, he revealed the most astonishing part of his story:

“In the Rakshasa’s lair, we encountered something we thought only existed in legends—the Zhenbird.”

With that, he opened a small wooden box. Inside was a single, magnificent feather.

“This is a Zhenbird’s feather.”

The feather’s sheen exuded a toxic energy so intense it left the family in awe of its beauty and power.

“Hwa-eun?”

Her father’s soft voice pulled her attention away from the feather. She looked at him, and his next words left her stunned.

“I wish to take this young warrior as my son-in-law. What do you think?”

“Son-in-law?! Are you suggesting that this boy… that he…?”

Her father’s meaning was clear—he was proposing to marry her off to the young warrior.

Hwa-eun shot up from her seat, a mix of disbelief and indignation.

“I understand your reasoning, Father, and I know how valuable the young warrior is to the clan. But if he is to be my husband, I need to judge whether he’s truly worthy of me!”

With that, she stormed out of the room and headed straight for the rooms on the eastern side.

‘I’ll thoroughly assess him—from his abilities to his character!’

Her determination burned as she passed through the inner courtyard.

She found the young warrior sitting in a pavilion, his hair still damp from his bath. He looked up, startled, as she approached.

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

She intended to check his pulse, a simple way to gauge his martial aptitude.

The boy hesitated, clearing his throat nervously.

“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?”

Hwa-eun froze, realizing how her words might have been interpreted. Her face turned bright red.

“I mean, I wouldn’t mind if—”

“Absolutely not!”

Her sharp voice echoed across the courtyard, startling even the servants nearby.

It seemed the young warrior wasn’t as naïve as she had assumed.