Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang

Giant Salamander.

Also known as Wawa fish.

In English, the Giant Salamander.

In Korean, it’s called jangsu dorongnyong—the longevity salamander.

There were five or six of them lying still in a water tub, looking vacant and dazed.

They were the very creatures mentioned the last time when someone brought up whether it was Oh-ye or Hwa-ye, and I’d sworn I’d raise one at least once in this life.

Big, bulky bodies. Dopey little faces. Beady eyes like millet grains.

Ah, they were honestly just so cute.

But the moment of being charmed by their cuteness didn’t last long.

Once I realized their situation, I could only sigh—ah... Jongwon is still Jongwon, both in my past life and this one.

This wasn’t just anywhere. This was the Fish Hall.

A place where edible fish were bought and sold.

Those creatures in the tub weren’t being sold as pets—they were meant to be eaten.

To think such adorable creatures were being traded for food...

As expected, Jongwon was far from normal.

Even in my past life, they were considered a protected species and couldn’t be exported, yet domestically they were raised and consumed for food.

The giant salamanders that people like him cooked and ate.

I clenched my fist and vowed to rescue them and take them home.

Sure, I could probably find a place selling them in Seongdo too,

but now that I’d laid eyes on them, how could I just walk away?

‘Tsk... If I put them in that big tub I bought because of Hwayang last time and bring them back to the Tang household, that should work, right? Just hang in there a bit. I’ll rescue all of you and bring you home.’

Just as I was clenching my fist and vowing internally, I heard the voices of Hwa-eun and Sister Seol.

“Tong, we can’t eat all this. But did So-ryong really eat these too? We do keep pets and hunt separately, you know...”

“Oh, I heard that back when he lived on Hainan Island, he survived by catching and eating giant salamanders instead of rice.”

“Really? That’s surprising! I thought he was more refined.”

Startled by Yang Seong-hu’s words, I blurted out—

“Th-that’s not it?!”

Since I was Hwa-eun’s fiancé, we’d talked here and there about this and that when we had the chance, and I must have told a story about Hainan Island.

But judging from this, it seemed something had gotten twisted along the way and now they had the wrong idea.

The point of that story had been about how desperate I was—desperate enough to eat even the venomous creatures I loved so dearly.

But now, hearing how they were reacting, it sounded like they thought I was someone who rigorously separated food from affection.

It was obvious now.

They thought I, like the Tang Clan folks, had no problem eating the venomous creatures I raised.

But that was absolutely not the case.

To be honest, life on Hainan Island had been miserable.

An orphan with no family, no particular skills, and no knowledge of this world.

Even though I had the kind of attention-seeking personality that worked well for livestreaming—able to catch those sharp donation cues and entertain—I couldn’t do a single thing with it.

Still, I had to survive.

And with no special talents to rely on, the only thing I knew how to do was catch snakes and lizards.

That was the only skill I had that could be adapted to this world—

So I became a trapper.

Right, I’d skin snakes and sell their hides,

catch lizards for medicinal ingredients and sell them too.

And, well, when I really craved meat, I’d eat them myself.

I still remember the time I hadn’t eaten for three days, and saw a snake crawling toward a pine shoot...

I couldn’t stop myself.

I ate it—and then I cried...

It tasted good, damn it...

In psychology, when someone channels their innate talent into something positive, they call that sublimation.

For example, someone with a keen sense of criminal psychology might become a detective.

Because they understand criminals better than anyone, they use that ability to catch them.

But if they fail to channel it the right way, they might become an extraordinary criminal instead—

someone who understands crime so well that they plan their own perfectly.

So, me becoming a trapper on Hainan Island?

That was strategy for survival.

It’s a past I’d rather not talk about.

So when I yelled at Yang Seong-hu, Sister Seol and Hwa-eun widened their eyes and asked,

“It’s not? What isn’t?”

“You didn’t?”

“No, I wasn’t going to eat them. I just meant I was going to bring those little ones back to the Tang household...”

I was in the middle of desperately trying to explain to Yang Seong-hu that I was talking about rescuing and saving those little ones—

not eating them—

when—

CRACK!

A loud cracking sound echoed, followed by a shrill scream from one of the giant salamanders.

“Waaaeeeehhhhhhh!”

A strange wail, just like the name Wawa fish.

Startled, I turned my head to see—

A middle-aged woman smashing a giant salamander’s skull with a wooden club right on the chopping board.

The poor creature was flailing, then suddenly went limp.

“!”

My eyes widened in disbelief.

And then came the woman’s apologetic voice.

“Oh dear, I’m so sorry. You said you were going to eat them, so I already caught one...”

“AaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!”

I let out an uncontrollable scream.

She’d clearly gotten excited when I said I wanted all of them,

but once I said I wasn’t going to eat them, she rushed to kill one before I could cancel the order.

This was the classic market scam from my past life.

If a customer hesitated too long at a fish stall, the seller would just go ahead and bash the fish’s head in.

And of course... she picked the biggest one.

***

When boiling water is poured over a giant salamander,

a transparent membrane forms across its body.

It’s a mucous layer that protects the creature,

and it congeals into a gelatin-like film that’s scraped off with a knife.

Then, it’s chopped up and deep-fried.

This produces a fragrant, nutty smell.

The pieces are then set aside, and garlic is added to the oil to create a garlic base.

Then doubanjiang is mixed in, water is added, and a spicy broth is made.

Toss in a few vegetables and season it—

And there it is: Hongshao Wawa Fish.

A spicy giant salamander stew, Jongwon-style, with Sichuan chili.

How do I know all this?

Because I watched it being cooked right in front of me.

“There, you saw it being made just now, right?

This is our house specialty—Hongshao Wawa Fish. Enjoy.”

After setting down the pot, the woman retreated back into the Fish Hall.

I stared at the Hongshao Wawa Fish with a hardened face.

“She’s... really good at business, isn’t she...”

“Y-yeah...”

“She really is...”

Hwa-eun and Sister Seol muttered awkwardly, clearly watching my reaction.

They must’ve heard my scream.

That woman, she was way too good at sales.

When I yelled, “I meant to buy the living ones!”,

“That I wanted to raise them, not eat them!”,

she flinched—

but still, with the calm face of a seasoned vendor, she said,

“Oh my, how terrible! I didn’t know, I already caught it... I feel so bad. If you just eat that one, I’ll sell you the rest cheap.”

Translation: Buy them all anyway.

But if she’s giving me a discount... what else could I do?

So we added a few more dishes and ended up with a full spread.

‘Well, I still managed to rescue five, so... maybe it’s fine?’

One had died in an unfortunate accident,

but at least five survived.

Trying to take comfort in that, I quietly picked at the grilled fish and fish stew.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

Hwa-eun and Sister Seol, after eyeing me nervously,

only nibbled at one corner of the grilled meat.

But the spicy aroma must’ve gotten to them—

they couldn’t hold back.

People in my past life didn’t know much about Yunnan.

They thought only people from Sichuan liked spicy food,

but Yunnan cuisine could be just as fiery.

So, comparing it to my past life...

Hwa-eun and Sister Seol were probably feeling like Koreans

who just spent two bland, flavorless months traveling through Europe.

In my past life, I once spent two whole months in Europe, eating nothing but scrambled eggs, cheese, and Mediterranean salad every morning—

and the moment I landed back at the airport, the first thing I did was shove a steaming bowl of kimchi stew into my face.

And now, who was I? I watched as Hwa-eun’s chopsticks twitched, flinching just from looking at the bowl of Hongshao Wawa Fish.

Yang Seong-hu, like someone caught stealing, hastily moved his hand toward another dish.

“Go ahead and eat. Sister Seol, Hwa-eun. I’m fine, really.”

At my words, Yang Seong-hu gave an awkward smile.

“Ah, haha... I-I guess I will?”

“Is... is it really okay?”

Well, one was already dead. I wasn’t so narrow-minded that I couldn’t understand someone else eating an animal I happened to care about.

Just because it had meaning to me didn’t mean it wasn’t food to someone else.

“Of course.”

“Th-then...”

“If So-ryong says it’s fine...”

At my approval, Yang Seong-hu cautiously scooped up some broth with his spoon.

The spicy red soup ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) shimmered as he took a careful sip.

Slurp.

“It’s good.”

“And the meat’s really chewy too.”

I couldn’t bring myself to taste it. It felt like I’d be betraying myself.

But Wawa Fish was well known for its health benefits.

Its slimy mucus was said to be rich in amino acids and other nutrients, making it a popular dish for restoring vitality.

After our meal, as we stepped out of the restaurant, I spotted the middle-aged lady from earlier waiting by a large cart loaded with a water tub and the remaining giant salamanders.

Standing beside the cart was either her husband or son.

As she’d promised, she was going to have them delivered to the port for us.

“Did you enjoy your meal?”

“Yes, it was really delicious.”

“I think I’ll come back tomorrow. I’ve missed spicy food like that.”

I hadn’t eaten the Hongshao Wawa Fish myself,

but the other grilled fish had been fresh and tasty.

The woman smiled at our response.

“My son will take you to the harbor. Just make sure you get on the boat.”

“Thank you very much.”

“No need to thank me—if anything, I should be the one thanking you.”

After exchanging goodbyes with the woman, we followed her son as he pushed the cart.

Just as we arrived at the port, I saw a crowd gathered near our boat, murmuring anxiously.

“Oh no...”

“How awful...”

“By the way, didn’t someone go to fetch the authorities? Why is no one back yet?”

It felt like something bad had happened.

Though I was curious, the priority now was moving the rescued salamanders.

We parked the cart near our boat and hurried onboard.

“Do Sagong! Do Sagong!”

I wasn’t sure if he was inside, but I called out for him anyway.

Soon enough, Do Sagong rushed over from the bow with a bowed waist.

“Yes, So-ryong! You called for me?”

“Could you have someone fill that big water tub—just about halfway? The one Hwayang used to live in?”

“Water, sir?”

“Ah, yes. I bought some Wawa Fish, and I want to take them back with us.”

“Understood. I’ll get it ready right away.”

Without delay, Do Sagong called the boatmen over and began filling the water tub.

It finally felt like I was adapting to life as a human in this world.

As I waited to move the Wawa Fish once the water was ready,

I looked down from the boat to find Hwa-eun and Sister Seol among the people gathered nearby.

Beyond the crowd, I saw something strange.

Two male corpses lay there, their faces a sickly blue.

For whatever reason, it seemed two people had drowned—

but what struck me as bizarre was that the bodies, despite being clearly dead,

were still floating in the water with an ominous sheen clinging to their skin.

When Hwa-eun and Sister Seol climbed aboard and followed my gaze, they frowned.

“There’s clearly been an incident... but why are they just leaving the bodies in the water like that?”

“Right? Sis... yesterday there weren’t any signs of trouble, but now...”

The three of us were baffled by the strange sight.

Eventually, Sister Seol couldn’t hold it in any longer and shouted toward the crowd:

“Excuse me! I am Seolpyo of the Beast Palace.

My father is the Lord of the Beast Palace.

What is the meaning of leaving the deceased like that, without recovering the bodies from the water?”

“Beast Palace!?”

“A member of the Beast Palace here in Sichuan?”

Her voice triggered murmurs of surprise.

Then, an elderly man stepped forward from among the crowd.

“Quiet, all of you.”

He was clearly from the Black-Clad Tribe—

but with a distinct appearance, steeped in totemism and shamanic traditions.

“So, you’re from the Beast Palace.

I am Jjoro, the mourning shaman of the Black-Clad Tribe.

These men were poisoned by a lake spirit’s venom. That is why we cannot touch them.”

“Poison?”

“Yes, lady of the Beast Palace.”

At the word poison, Sister Seol turned her gaze to Hwa-eun.

If it was poison, then naturally, it was something our Tang Clan should handle.

She gave Hwa-eun a look that clearly said,

“We can’t just leave this like that. Do something.”

Hwa-eun nodded and stepped forward, addressing the old man.

“I understand you have your reasons,

but would it be alright if I examined the bodies?

I’m Tang Hwa-eun of the Sichuan Tang Clan.”

“T-The Tang Clan!?”

“Sichuan Tang!? Isn’t that the main bloodline!?”

At her words, the crowd instantly parted as if struck by lightning.

A direct descendant of one of the Three Great Powers of Sichuan—

no wonder people stepped back in awe.

Hwa-eun, Sister Seol, and I approached the corpses.

Hwa-eun took out a few needles and poked the bodies, sprinkled some reagents—

then tilted her head.

“These men weren’t poisoned.”

“They weren’t?”

“Not poison, Hwa-eun?”

“Are you saying... it wasn’t poison?”

“Not poison? Then what was it?”

“Yes. I, Tang Hwa-eun of the Tang Clan, guarantee it.

Who said these men were poisoned?”

Her firm denial caused a stir among the crowd.

Then the old man from earlier shouted back:

“That’s impossible!

They were clearly killed by the venom of a lake spirit!”

“Venom from a spirit?”

Spirit... could it be a divine beast again?

Hearing that word, my curiosity began to stir again.