Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang

“A fun and decent idea, you say?”

“Yes, but I’ll need a few answers first.”

“Then ask away, as much as you like. You’ve made me quite curious now.”

Elder Geolhwang gave me a look full of amusement and curiosity, inviting my questions.

I began right away.

“About Majeun—Horse-Hoof Silver—who exactly manufactures it? They all look different, so I assumed they weren’t made directly by the government.”

I was referring to the high-denomination silver currency of the Central Plains, called Majeun because it’s shaped like a horse’s hoof. I’d used it a few times and even had a few pieces stored on my boat. But the shapes varied so much that I had to ask.

This was the first piece I needed to confirm for my plan.

“Majeun, huh? Talking about big money already... Now I’m even more interested.”

Elder Geolhwang gave a small smile, then began his explanation.

“Majeun is produced by officially licensed silversmiths. Anyone with the proper approval can mint them, which is why they all look different. Even the Tang Clan could make them. Isn’t that right, Mandok Shingun?”

Just as I thought!

That meant anyone could mint it with proper permission—including our clan.

Encouraged, I felt my plan taking shape. Then Grandfather added,

“He’s right, So-ryong. The Tang Clan can manufacture Majeun. But each batch has to be certified for weight and purity by a licensed appraiser from the authorities. Only then is it legal currency. Why do you ask?”

“It has to be certified?”

“Yes. If you’re caught using uncertified Majeun, the punishment can be as light as a whipping or as heavy as execution.”

“...Yikes.”

That part /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ made me flinch.

Execution. Yeesh.

I’d hoped this world would be a little more lenient, but apparently not.

Then again, even in my past life, counterfeiting currency was a capital crime in many countries. Disrupting the monetary system is no small offense.

I sighed, feeling my hopeful expression darken. That’s when Elder Geolhwang asked,

“What’s with that face?”

Feeling a little guilty about getting everyone’s hopes up, I confessed.

“To be honest... I was thinking of making fake Majeun and funneling it into the Five Venoms Sect’s trade deals.”

“Fake silver?”

“Yes. I thought if we created a big trade or ongoing transaction, we could slip fake silver into their hands. Then, once word spread that all of it was fake, it’d hit them hard.”

“But now I realize that would be breaking the law.”

Yet instead of scolding me, Elder Geolhwang leaned in, intrigued.

“You say fake silver... as in alloyed with copper or something? That’s common. But they’d probably catch on quickly with their own appraisers.”

“No, not like that. My method would be undetectable unless they cut the silver open.”

“Really?”

“Yes, but... since it breaks the law, I guess I should let it go.”

I explained that my technique would match the weight and surface purity exactly—only an internal inspection would reveal the fraud.

Elder Geolhwang stroked his chin thoughtfully, showing no signs of disapproval—only rising interest.

“That is clever. I don’t know how pure your counterfeits would be, but if the quality is high enough... this might actually work.”

“You think so? But wouldn’t that cause economic chaos if the trick spread?”

I voiced my concern. After all, even here, silver functioned as currency. Counterfeiting could destabilize entire regions.

But Elder Geolhwang shook his head calmly.

“How many people in this world can even use that much silver?”

True. Majeun was a high-denomination form of silver, used only by the wealthy.

Still, I frowned.

“But what if they break it into smaller units? Fifty-liang Majeun is common in trade—small enough to circulate widely.”

Elder Geolhwang chuckled softly.

“You’re right to worry. But since they’re posing as Daewolguk merchants, we can target them exclusively. There’s a way to do it that won’t hurt anyone else.”

Wait—there is?

Before I could ask, Hwa-eun spoke up, her voice light and clear.

“Oh! You mean Dragon Silver, right?”

Her tone implied something everyone else already knew.

Even Grandfather nodded.

“That’s right.”

“Dragon Silver?”

Hwa-eun offered me a dazzling smile as she explained, like a private tutor.

“Dragon Silver is a special type of Majeun used exclusively for foreign trade. It’s shaped just like regular Majeun, but it has the words ‘Dragon Silver’ engraved on it. It can’t be used inside the Central Plains—it’s only for trade with foreign nations.”

“Ohhh.”

So, it was like a foreign-exchange version of silver.

Elder Geolhwang picked up the explanation again.

“That’s why your plan can work. If you can create Dragon Silver with high enough purity and authenticity, you can cause a major disruption—without harming innocent citizens.

Only the Five Venoms Sect will suffer. In Daewolguk, only high-status nobles handle foreign trade. If those nobles discover they were paid in counterfeit silver, it’s those bastards who’ll take the fall.”

Indeed—if the noblemen of Daewolguk discovered they’d been duped, the Five Venoms Sect would be held fully accountable.

And it wouldn’t stop at mere restitution. They could be tortured or executed for daring to deceive the nobility.

Yes. This is it. I can go ahead with the plan.

As I nodded to myself, Elder Geolhwang added with a chuckle,

“When you said you had a good idea, I assumed you’d use the children. I heard you helped the princess wipe out the pirates at Yizhou, after all.

If those ships were sunk at sea, no one could trace the attack to us—not even Daewolguk could raise a diplomatic issue.”

As expected of a master of intelligence, he was well-informed—even about my covert assistance to the princess in eliminating the Yizhou pirates.

Still, my plan wasn’t that simple or blunt.

Sinking ships could hurt innocent sailors, and besides, it wouldn’t get to the root of the problem.

But slipping poison into their finances? That was more my style.

I chuckled darkly.

“If we just smashed ships, we might cause damage, but it wouldn’t be a lasting blow.

For all we know, they have other sources of income. If they’re operating through Daewolguk’s trade routes, they must be earning money from there as well.

Destroying ships might cut a link, but not the root. This way is better, don’t you think?”

They had already lost their brothels and restaurants thanks to the Alliance and Hao Clan.

Now we’d discovered this new trade route.

If we removed it with surgical precision—without them even realizing—it’d be far more effective.

Elder Geolhwang nodded with clear approval.

“Yes, I do think your way is more interesting. But tell me—how exactly do you plan to make this fake silver?

You don’t seem like the kind of man to use cheap tricks.”

He leaned forward, intrigued.

I gave him a confident smile.

“Well, I am the Tang Clan’s son-in-law. I plan to use poison.”

“Poison?”

Everyone’s eyes went wide.

It wasn’t every day someone claimed they’d make counterfeit silver using poison.

“You’re going to make silver with poison?”

“With poison?”

Even Grandfather and Hwa-eun exchanged incredulous glances.

And then, as all eyes turned to me, I gently patted Ranghyang’s head and smiled.

“Yes. And not just any poison—Ranghyang’s.”

—Kyuu? Kyuki?

At the sound of her name, Ranghyang turned toward me, antennae twitching high with excitement.

Hwa-eun blinked, confused.

“Ranghyang’s?”

She wanted to know how I planned to turn Ranghyang’s venom into silver.

But for this plan... she was the key.

“Yes. Ranghyang’s venom is luminous, after all.”

—KyuKIT!?

Of everyone present, Ranghyang was the most shocked by what I said.

***

To manufacture the counterfeit silver, I needed to use the Tang Clan’s secret poison-crafting facilities—resources not available to just anyone. And since the process and our next conversation might touch upon the clan’s inner secrets, I asked Elder Geolhwang to give us a few days.

“If you’d be willing to return in three days, I’ll have a few samples ready to show you.”

“Understood. I’m terribly curious how you’ll pull this off... but if poison is involved, I can guess it ties to Tang Clan secrets. I’ll take my leave for now.”

With a respectful nod, Elder Geolhwang departed. That left me with Grandfather Mandok Shingun and Hwa-eun.

“Grandfather, I need to ask a few things, if that’s alright.”

“So now I’m your next interrogation subject, hmm? Go on, I’m curious how you plan to turn poison into silver.”

With Geolhwang gone, I turned to Grandfather. I needed to know whether the clan already had certain rare ingredients. I had three components in mind—one already secured through Ranghyang’s venom.

But without the second, I’d have to synthesize it from scratch, which would be a huge time sink. If the Tang Clan already had it in storage, this whole thing would go much faster.

“So... do we happen to have a kind of poison that melts flesh on contact, heats up violently in water, and can even dissolve metal? Something that can only be stored in something like a porcelain or black jade bottle?”

“A poison like that, hmm...”

I didn’t know the exact name, so I described its traits.

Grandfather fell silent, pondering. The pause felt agonizingly long.

Then Hwa-eun, standing beside us, chimed in,

“Could he be talking about Seokdamjeong?”

Seokdamjeong? “Stone Gall Extract?” What kind of name is that?

Apparently that was the term—“stone gall.” Whatever that meant.

Grandfather nodded slowly.

“Yes... that must be it.”

“I’ll go get some. Let’s test it, So-ryong.”

“It should be on my desk,” Grandfather added. “Bring it here.”

“Okay!”

I waited anxiously as Hwa-eun darted outside. I remembered from my past life that ancient Arabic alchemists were synthesizing sulfuric acid as far back as the 8th century, and that the Chinese had records of similar substances too.

If it’s what I think it is... please let it be true!

Soon, Hwa-eun returned with a small black bottle.

She uncorked it and tipped a single drop onto a steel rod.

—Tsssss...

The drop hissed on contact, smoke curling up as the metal sizzled and corroded rapidly.

“Seokdamjeong darkens in sunlight, so we store it in obsidian bottles. It’s colorless and odorless, but inhaling the fumes can be lethal.”

Darkens with sunlight... colorless... deadly vapor...

Yes! This is it. Sulfuric acid!

I had found my second material. The plan was officially moving forward.