Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang

”Eun is alive!?”

”Yes, of course. Please check for yourself.”

Namgung Seol, who had drawn her sword in grief, thinking her younger brother Namgung Eun was dead, froze at the words confirming his survival. She quickly rushed to her brother’s side.

She checked Namgung Eun’s pulse, then asked in an urgent tone, ”But what happened to him? Why can’t he move at all?”

”It seems his body has been paralyzed by the spider’s venom.”

”Venom!? Then this is serious, isn’t it? Is there no way to neutralize the poison?”

Namgung Seol’s shocked expression intensified as I gave my calm answer. Her eyes widened in alarm at the mention of venom.

For ordinary people, the mere mention of poison invokes immediate fear. Her reaction was understandable. Seeing her visibly shaken, my sister placed a hand on Namgung Seol’s shoulder and explained.

”No, Lady Namgung, it’s simply paralysis. It will likely wear off in a day or two. That’s probably why the missing people were able to return after a day or two as well.”

”Really?”

”Yes. If it were a lethal poison, he would already be dead. You can trust me; I am a member of the Tang Clan. If it were a deadly poison, not only would he be unable to move, but he would also be showing other severe symptoms by now.”

Reassured by my sister’s expertise as a poison specialist, Namgung Seol’s tense expression finally began to relax. She gently adjusted her brother’s body, which was lying on the ground, before turning her cold gaze toward the spider.

Her eyes fixated on the spider, which was sprawled on the ground in a form resembling her own. The tip of her sword, gripped in a reverse hold, trembled as if her fury over the humiliation she had endured because of the creature was boiling over.

‘Better stop her before she does something reckless.’

Though I had claimed the spider as my own, I could see she was still blinded by the shame and indignation she had suffered at its hands. I decided to intervene before things got out of control, reiterating my claim of ownership.

”Lady Namgung, I understand that what you’ve been through—”

But before I could finish, my sister’s voice echoed in my head, cutting me off.

[So-ryong, let me handle this. Will you trust me?]

I stopped speaking and gave her a small nod. My sister met my gaze briefly, then turned to Namgung Seol, placing a firm but comforting hand on her shoulder as she spoke.

”I understand you’re angry and want to kill it, but if you kill it now, Lady Namgung, you’ll lose the chance to clear your name forever.”

”Lose the chance? What do you mean?” Namgung Seol asked, startled.

”This spider can mimic human faces and bodies. But once it’s dead, there’s no guarantee that mimicry will persist. If it reverts upon death, how will you ever prove your innocence? Think about it. You need to bring this creature back to your family and show it to them. Only then can the misunderstanding about you be completely resolved. And the villagers who have been spreading baseless rumors will finally see the truth.”

”Grr...” Namgung Seol trembled with frustration, but she couldn’t refute my sister’s logic. Slowly, she lowered her sword.

‘What impeccable reasoning. My sister is amazing—so sharp!’

Hearing my sister’s argument, I realized how convincing her point was. She was right; there was no guarantee the spider’s mimicked appearance would remain intact after death. While it might, the risk of it not doing so was too great. Killing it could destroy Namgung Seol’s only chance to clear her name, both within her family and among the villagers.

My sister continued, her tone firm and decisive as she addressed the matter I had been planning to emphasize.

”And remember, this creature was captured by So-ryong. It was So-ryong who found the elixir for your brother and saved his life. It was So-ryong who caught this spider and created the opportunity to prove your innocence. Surely, you wouldn’t wield your sword recklessly now and ignore all that, would you?”

Her words struck a nerve. My sister had skillfully cornered Namgung Seol into acknowledging her debt, compelling her to back down. I couldn’t help but be impressed.

‘Am I attracted to smart, older women? Is that my type?’

Namgung Seol fell into momentary thought, then reluctantly nodded with a conflicted expression. ”Fine. I’ve already received too much kindness to ignore. I’ll follow So-ryong’s decision. But what do you plan to do with it?”

She was clearly asking what we intended to do with the spider. I had only one answer.

”So-ryong plans to take it to the Tang Clan.”

”You’re taking that to the Tang Clan!?” Namgung Seol’s shock was evident as her voice rose. I quickly nodded to confirm.

”Yes, it’s cute.”

”C-cute!?” Namgung Seol stammered, her face flushing red. She glanced at me briefly, then quickly averted her gaze, flustered. She looked to my sister, seeking clarification. My sister, however, grabbed both of Namgung Seol’s shoulders, forcing her to meet her gaze. Shaking her head, my sister clarified with an expression that seemed to say, Please don’t misunderstand.

”So-ryong doesn’t mean that it’s cute because it mimics you. He means the spider itself is cute. Its red color, soft fur, and unique abilities—he finds those traits endearing.”

”Haah...” My sister let out an exasperated sigh as she concluded, as if even explaining this felt like a waste of time. Namgung Seol, clearly feeling guilty for the misunderstanding, patted my sister’s shoulder apologetically.

‘What? Why? What’s happening?’ I thought, thoroughly baffled.

***

The morning came, and Namgung Seol’s warriors, summoned from the Namgung Clan, escorted the spider and Namgung Eun back to the clan.

As the spider was loaded onto a cart and brought into the Namgung Clan’s grounds, the sight caused an uproar among the people.

The clan members and warriors who saw the spider still mimicking Namgung Seol’s appearance were utterly horrified.

“T-the spider took on the lady’s appearance!”

“This creature is clearly a demonic entity!”

“So it was this monster that dared to imitate the lady!”

Even the head of the Namgung Clan, upon seeing the spider, erupted in fury.

“How dare this thing steal my daughter’s face and disgrace her!”

Like father, like daughter—he, too, drew his sword, shouting in righteous indignation.

My sister glanced at me before stepping forward to address the Namgung patriarch directly.

”Master Namgung, this spider belongs to So-ryong…”

Repeating the same explanation she had given Namgung Seol the previous day, my sister calmly reasoned with him. After a brief pause, the Namgung patriarch, his expression softening, sheathed his sword and nodded.

“If everything you say is true, then he has saved both my daughters’ lives and their honor. The Namgung Clan will never forget this kindness. We will respect So-ryong’s wishes.”

‘Wow, as expected of my sister!’

There was a saying in my previous life: A man’s life is easy if he listens to three women—his GPS, his mother, and his wife.

Just when it seemed everything would go smoothly, the patriarch added one final remark.

“But this, I cannot allow.”

He pointed toward the cart carrying the spider. Specifically, his finger was aimed at the spider’s pedipalps, still mimicking Namgung Seol’s face.

It wasn’t a matter of ownership; the problem lay in the violation of Namgung Seol’s likeness.

***

The Namgung patriarch’s concern was valid. If this spider, still wearing his daughter’s face, were brought to the Tang Clan and somehow escaped or caused trouble, it could once again drag his daughter’s name into scandalous rumors.

His request was simple: if I wanted to take the spider, I needed to ensure it could take on a different appearance.

”If it could mimic my daughter’s face, surely it can mimic another. How can I allow it to leave like this, bearing my daughter’s likeness? I don’t want her to face baseless suspicion ever again.”

I couldn’t ignore his reasonable request. After all, even I wouldn’t feel comfortable knowing that something resembling my daughter’s face was wandering around, beyond my knowledge or control.

‘I didn’t even think about likeness rights…’

At the Namgung Clan’s training grounds, the spider lay in a sturdy wooden cage, its body limp and still unconscious. To figure out how it could change its appearance, it first needed to wake up.

As I stood in the shade, silently observing the spider, a group of villagers arrived to gawk at the creature in the cage.

“So this is the monster that mimicked the lady!”

“It’s uncanny! No wonder people misunderstood.”

“You see! I told you Lady Namgung wasn’t someone who’d do such things!”

The crowd consisted entirely of villagers. The reason they were here was simple: since yesterday afternoon, the news had spread that the culprit behind the village’s disappearances had been caught and was being held at the Namgung Clan.

The more people who saw the spider, the faster the rumors about Namgung Seol would fade. At least, that was the plan.

As the villagers marveled at the spider, a commotion broke out.

“Such an evil creature!”

One man, his emotions running high, grabbed a stone and prepared to throw it at the spider.

Gu Pae, the deputy commander of the Tang Clan’s Venom Blood Squad, swiftly intervened, blocking the man.

“What do you think you’re doing? This spider belongs to the Tang Clan. Do you dare damage something that belongs to us?”

“I-I’m sorry, sir. I didn’t mean to…”

This was the third time. For some reason, the villagers loved throwing rocks at my spider. Fortunately, the Tang Clan’s Venom Blood Squad was stationed nearby to protect it. Otherwise, the poor thing might’ve been injured by now.

“Deputy Gu Pae, I think most people who wanted to see it have already come. Let’s stop allowing visitors before the spider gets hurt.”

“Should we close this off now?”

“Yes, I’ll inform the Namgung patriarch. Let’s ensure no one else can come near it.”

After agreeing with the Namgung patriarch to close off the training grounds, I was returning when I noticed a minor commotion near the entrance.

“Cough, cough! Please, just a quick look, won’t you?”

“Elder, I’m sorry, but we’ve been ordered not to let anyone else in.”

“Just a moment, please. Cough, cough!”

“Sir, I’ve already told you, it’s not allowed.”

As I approached, I saw an elderly man arguing with Gu Pae.

“What’s going on, Deputy Gu?”

“Ah, So-ryong. This elder insists on seeing the spider, but I’ve told him it’s not allowed.”

The old man’s frail frame and sickly complexion suggested he had come a long way to see the spider. I turned to Gu Pae and said, “Let him take a look. He’s clearly traveled far in his condition.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. Let him through.”

With my approval, Gu Pae stepped aside, allowing the old man to shuffle forward slowly. He stopped in front of the cage and stared intently at the spider for a long while before turning to Gu Pae and asking, “Cough, cough! What’s going to happen to it now? Are you going to kill it, as people say?”

Though we had told the villagers we’d kill it, there was no need to lie to the old man. I stepped forward to answer.

“Of course not. It’s a rare creature. I plan to take it to Sichuan and raise it properly.”

The old man’s expression shifted to one of mild surprise. “Cough! But it’s such a strange creature. How could you…”

“It’s just a spider,” I said calmly. “It’s not inherently evil. Its diet is unusual, but that’s not its fault. What it eats and how it survives is determined by nature, not by the creature itself.”

The old man’s eyes widened slightly as he studied me.

“You’re the first person I’ve heard speak of it that way. Cough…”

He moved closer, crouching in front of the cage. Gu Pae stepped forward to stop him, but I held up a hand to signal him to stand down. There was something familiar about the old man—something I could sense.

A kindred spirit.

A faint, distinct scent that only those with a deep love for creatures like this would recognize was emanating from him.

‘He’s one of us, without a doubt.’

As if to confirm my thoughts, the old man reached out and gently stroked the spider’s head—not the mimicked head of Namgung Seol, but the spider’s real head nestled between its legs.

“Cough! Its name is Yo-hwa. I raised it for twenty years after finding it as a tiny spider in the mountains, during a time when I had lost everything to a plague. I discovered that if I gave it yang energy, it would take on the appearance of the person I found most beautiful.”

The old man had unknowingly provided exactly the information I needed. As he stroked the spider’s head, he looked up at me.

“But now, my strength has waned, and I can no longer give it yang energy. That’s how this mess with Lady Namgung happened. Please, young master, take care of Yo-hwa.”

It turned out the spider wasn’t a wild creature but a domesticated one, raised in captivity. Domesticated creatures are usually sturdier and more accustomed to humans than their wild counterparts.

“I’ll take good care of it,” I said, nodding solemnly.

What I thought was a capture had turned out to be an adoption. Having received the spider from its original owner, I resolved to care for it properly.

But one lingering question remained.

‘How exactly do I provide it with yang energy?’