Chapter 40 – Venomous Creatures Garden (3)

The day after we captured the Chinese hamsters.

Grandfather was busy every day, working with visitors to come up with countermeasures against the Blood Cult.

Since the Blood Cult had openly revealed themselves and even attacked us, it was clear that they were officially resuming their activities in the Central Plains.

After their downfall thirty years ago, they had reportedly been lying low and staying hidden. For them to brazenly attack a major household like the Tang Family meant they were confident in their strength.

Moreover, it had been revealed that their infiltration into the Tang Family was related to the Blood Water Poisonous Claws, and discussions were underway about how to protect it and possibly use it to lure them in.

“How about storing the Blood Water Poisonous Claws in the Alliance?”

“There’s no guarantee it would be safer there than with us, is there? After all, that’s a place with a lot of people coming and going.”

“True. Then, for now, let’s wait for the strategist from the Alliance to arrive. Since he’s from the Zhuge Family, he’ll surely have a good idea. After all, he is a ‘Zhuge’.”

The original copy of the Blood Water Poisonous Claws manual was already safely stored in the secret vault inside the Myriad Poison Hall, so there was no need to worry about it. Grandfather was carrying a copy himself, but due to the possibility of another attack, the Tang Sect was currently on full alert.

The Sichuan martial arts world was also in an uproar at the news that the Tang Sect had been attacked.

‘I thought they were Central Plains’ best assassination family? First, they get scammed, then robbed, and now attacked? Maybe the Tang Family isn’t as formidable as they seem?’

Grandfather was also busy preparing to host the people scheduled to arrive to provide support.

Since there weren’t any accommodations around the Tang Family grounds, all lodging and meals for visitors had to be arranged by the Tang Family.

Because of this, it became incredibly difficult to even catch a glimpse of Grandfather in a single day.

‘I hope Grandfather is doing okay.’

I wasn’t too worried, as he had previously served as the Family Head before my father-in-law, but still, he was an elderly man. On top of that, with such a major incident happening at home, it felt like father-in-law needed to return as soon as possible.

A few of the Tang Sect’s fastest martial artists, skilled in movement arts, had already been sent to the place father-in-law had traveled to, so he would probably return soon.

“Young Master Soryong, we’ve prepared dried oak bark. And I also asked the carpenters to prepare sawdust. Ah, we also brought wood shavings by cart, what should we do with those?”

I was momentarily lost in thought inside the Venomous Creatures Garden when I heard the question from one of the martial artists.

“Ah, dry them all cleanly and store them in sacks.”

“Understood, YoungMaster Soryong.”

“Ah, and the planed wood shavings, dry them today and prepare them for the mice’s bedding.”

“Yes, YoungMaster Soryong!”

Like Grandfather, I and the Venomous Creature Squad were also busy with preparations to set up the Venomous Creatures Garden.

We needed to complete the setup quickly so we could bring in the Tiger Keelbacks.

We also had to prepare poison samples to show to the Alliance’s strategist, who was expected to arrive soon. For that, we needed proper breeding facilities for the pinkies the Tiger Keelbacks would feed on.

“Young Master Soryong, we’ve also received the cleaned and roasted sand that has been cooled. Where should we store it?”

“Hmm, put it over there.”

Today, I split the Venomous Creature Squad into two groups, ten were working on setting up the garden’s interior, while the other ten were capturing Chinese hamsters.

In hindsight, we should have prepared their breeding facilities before catching the hamsters.

So, while one team went to catch the hamsters, the other team focused on expanding the hamster breeding facilities.

‘I got too excited and messed up the order, didn’t I?’

When raising rodents like hamsters, the most essential things were bedding, used as a base material for their cages, and spaces for individual housing.

For bedding, I decided to use wood shavings, which we had prepared, and for housing, I opted for clay jars, just as I had done on Haenam Island.

Since I couldn’t procure glass tanks or breeding boxes here, clay jars were the next best option.

Wooden boxes were the easiest to construct as breeding enclosures, but I was concerned that the rodents would gnaw through the wood and escape, so I chose jars instead.

“Once you have finished deworming the ones we captured yesterday, place them in the jars prepared with wood shavings as bedding. Make sure to house each one individually.”

“Yes, Young Master Soryong.”

The Chinese hamsters needed to be housed individually because of their nasty temperament. Otherwise, there were cases where the females would bite the males to death.

Keeping that in mind, I headed to the temporary holding area where the captured Chinese hamsters were being kept. The hamsters were currently undergoing quarantine procedures.

Quarantine, in this case, involved checking if the wild-caught hamsters had ticks, fleas, or bedbugs, and then eliminating them. This process was necessary because if they carried diseases or parasites, it could lead to mass deaths when raised collectively in the internal breeding facilities.

Moreover, the reptiles that fed on these hamsters could also contract diseases from them.

Although I didn’t have access to disinfectants or antiparasitic medication like in my previous life, the Tang Sect cultivated chrysanthemums containing pyrethrum, which had insecticidal properties, so I used that for removing external parasites.

As I exited the pavilion and walked toward the area where the hamsters caught yesterday were gathered, I encountered Uncle Gu Pae, who was bringing in another batch of hamsters.

Upon spotting me, Uncle Gu Pae’s face lit up with a cheerful expression.

“Young Master Soryong, today we caught about thirty of them. We even captured a few that seem to be pregnant.”

“Oh! That’s great. In that case, don’t mix them with the ones we caught yesterday. And don’t forget to sprinkle some pyrethrum on them.”

“Understood, Young Master Soryong.”

Preparations for the Venomous Creatures Garden setup and the production of pinkies were proceeding busily.

***

I had newfound respect for the Tang Sect’s martial artists, or rather, for martial artists in general.

Because the setup was completed in just three days.

In my previous life, I’d heard that it could take almost a month to set up a shop, but these guys finished it in just three days.

I hadn’t realized it before, but martial artists were perfectly suited for physical labor. Their tireless stamina and strength made them absolute geniuses when it came to manual labor.

If this had been the military in my previous life, these guys would’ve been beloved by their sergeants for sure.

Whether it was digging or lifting heavy objects in construction work – they handled it all smoothly.

I nodded in approval as I surveyed the fully completed Venomous Creatures Garden.

“Well done, everyone.”

“It was nothing. This is just our duty.”

“From now on, make sure these rodents are fed clean food. If the wood shavings you’ve laid as bedding get dirty, replace them promptly.”

“Understood, Young Master Soryong. Ah, by the way, some of them have already given birth.”

“Is that so? Don’t check on those that have given birth too frequently. They might eat their own young if stressed.”

“Understood. We’ll be careful.”

With everything ready, we could now head to the snake den tomorrow to bring back the Tiger Keelbacks.

We still needed to increase the population of the Chinese hamsters, so for now, we couldn’t use them as food. Instead, we could temporarily feed the Tiger Keelbacks something else.

“Thank you all for your hard work, everyone. Let’s head to the snake den tomorrow to catch the Tiger Keelbacks. Ah, and I’ve already spoken to my mother-in-law, so why don’t you all have a drink tonight?”

“D-Drinks?!”

Uncle Gu Pae’s eyes widened in surprise at the mention of alcohol.

I cautiously asked, wondering if he didn’t like alcohol.

“Do you dislike drinking?”

“Not at all! I love it! Thank you, Young Master Soryong!”

“Thank you very much!”

“Alright then. I’ve informed the kitchen attached to the guest hall, so feel free to help yourselves. You’ve all worked hard.”

If this had been my previous life, I would’ve joined them to drink, commiserate about the hard work, and enjoy myself. But in this life, I was only fifteen.

I wasn’t at the age to drink yet, so I left them to their celebration and headed off to find Nunim.

The reason I went to find Nunim was to check on the condition of Cho, Hyang, and Bin.

After I collapsed, Nunim had been taking care of them.

The reason she had kept them for so long was that all three clung to her and refused to let go.

“Young Miss, are you inside?”

It was my first time visiting Nunim’s quarters.

Even though it was broad daylight, the inside of Nunim’s quarters was dim and shadowy. Soon, I heard Nunim’s voice from within.

“Come in, Soryong.”

With her words, the door opened.

As I stepped inside, a black curtain was draped right in front of me.

The reason her quarters were covered with this black curtain was, of course, Cho, Hyang, and Bin.

Ever since I had collapsed, those three hadn’t left Nunim’s side. The problem was that while they used to cling to the outside of her clothing, now, for some reason, they were trying to crawl inside her clothes.

Because of this, the area was kept dark to prevent them from crawling inside her garments.

Centipedes naturally preferred dark places and were nocturnal creatures, after all.

Personally, I didn’t mind if they crawled inside my clothes, but Nunim still wasn’t comfortable with the idea of them crawling directly on her skin.

“How are they today?”

As I stepped further inside, I saw Nunim sitting at the table, lit by a small lantern with a tiny wick.

The Blue-Spotted Centipedes clung tightly to her shoulders and back.

“They’ve done nothing but sleep all day.”

“They must be exhausted.”

“I never knew this before, but apparently venomous creatures get tired after using their venom.”

The reason Cho, Hyang, and Bin were clinging to Nunim wasn’t because they had changed their allegiance to her, it was all because of food.

People often mistakenly assume that the poison of venomous creatures is naturally and effortlessly produced through their saliva or bodily fluids. But that’s a one-sided understanding.

The truth is, venom is a completely separate substance from saliva.

It has a unique characteristic: venomous creatures use a significant amount of energy when producing or using their venom.

Venom is essentially a crystallized blend of numerous enzymes and proteins. Producing it anew requires an incredible amount of energy.

For example, snakes can take anywhere from two weeks to a month to regenerate their venom after completely depleting it. Scorpions, too, require a large amount of energy to produce venom. If a scorpion is raising offspring, it may even eat its own young after using poison.

When I saw the Blood Cult martial artist die, I thought the venom of my Blue-Spotted Centipedes had become even more potent compared to when we were on Haenam Island. But that wasn’t it. It was more like they had pushed themselves to the limit, using venom to the point that it could dissolve a human entirely.

The confirmation came when I remembered Bin biting the Tiger Keelback in the pit. The snake’s corpse hadn’t dissolved completely.

Despite being a smaller snake, its body had remained intact.

Venomous snakes and insects are usually cunning enough to adjust the amount of venom they inject based on the size of their prey. If the prey is large, they inject more; if it’s small, they inject less.

But in the case of my centipedes, they must have failed to regulate their venom because they had burst out from inside my clothes and attacked recklessly when they sensed killing intent.

That’s why Cho, Hyang, and Bin were now desperately clinging to Nunim, trying to absorb the energy of their mother centipede radiating from her body to recover their strength.

“Well, it’s not something most people would know. By the way, so this is the Young Miss’s quarters.”

“Yes, it’s Soryong’s first time coming in, right? Usually, unmarried young ladies’ quarters inside the inner courtyard are not places men can freely enter.”

“Oh…”

Come to think of it, this was a woman’s room.

For some reason, there seemed to be a pleasant scent in the air.

“Ahem…”

Not to mention, it was just me and Nunim here. The lighting from the lantern was dim, adding to the atmosphere.

It seemed Nunim had only just realized this herself, as her voice faltered with embarrassment in the semi-darkness.

“S-so, I mean… um, Soryong is… uh… I mean, you’re my…”

Nunim was fumbling for words, clearly flustered.

At that moment, a voice came from outside.

“Young Miss, the Commander of the Venomous Creature Squad, Gu Pae, is here. He says he’s looking for Young Master Soryong.”

“Commander Gu is here?”

The maid’s voice announced the arrival of Gu Pae, the Commander of my Venomous Creature Squad at the Venomous Creatures Garden.

As Nunim gently covered the centipedes with a black cloth, she spoke.

“Soryong, let’s go out.”

“Yes.”

Since it wasn’t every day I got to see Nunim’s embarrassed face, I thought the timing couldn’t have been better as we headed to the entrance of the Inner Courtyard.

There, I found Uncle Gu Pae, looking somehow more exasperating than usual, standing with four martial artists from the Venomous Creatures Garden. They all wore serious expressions and kept their heads bowed.

I had specifically arranged for them to relax and have a feast, even providing alcohol, so why were they looking so grim now?

“Uncle Gu Pae?”

“Young Master Soryong….”

As soon as Uncle Gu Pae saw me, he lowered his head further, his face filled with guilt.

He immediately began to apologize with a look of deep regret.

“I’m so sorry, Young Master. The martial artists made a grave mistake….”

“A mistake?”

I tilted my head, wondering what kind of trouble they could’ve caused. Uncle Gu glanced over his shoulder with a scowl at the martial artists standing behind him.

One of them, who looked like he had ketchup smeared around his mouth, flinched nervously.

‘What’s going on here?’

And then, Gu Pae said something so unbelievable that I doubted my ears.

“I’m sorry, Young Master. Half of the baby mice born recently have….”

His apology started with a report about the baby mice. Apparently, half of them were dead.

Well, mice are known for cannibalism when the mother gets stressed, so I figured that was just something that couldn’t be helped.

It seemed they’d gotten a little loud while drinking in the Venomous Creatures Garden, but that was my fault for not warning them beforehand.

I was about to tell him it was fine when,

“It’s fine. Rodents are naturally sensitive creatures, so loud noise can-”

“No, it’s not that. The martial artists… ate them as snacks while drinking….”

“?”

At first, I thought I must have misheard.

“Snacks? What do you mean by snacks?”

Uncle Gu lowered his head even further and confessed.

“Well… two of our squad members are from Guangzhou… and while I stepped away for a moment, they started reminiscing about home and decided to eat a few baby mice as San Zhi Er (三吱儿)… but they said it tasted so good they kept eating… and before they knew it, half of them were gone….”

“San Zhi Er?” (TL Note: Literally, it means three-squeaked rat, and for the actual explanation, it is given below. It is mentioned in Chinese historical notes.)

Blinking in confusion at the unfamiliar term, I turned to Nunim. She looked at the martial artists with a mix of exasperation and disgust as she explained.

“It’s a dish where you dip live baby mice in soy sauce and eat them. It’s called San Zhi Er because the mice squeak three times: once when you pick them up with chopsticks, once when you dip them in the sauce, and once when you bite into them.”

“What?! You mean… they eat m-mice?”

“Yes, alive.”

No, they weren’t even venomous creatures but ate mice, and the first thought that crossed my mind after hearing this was:

‘Does the Tang Family not feed them properly? What kind of lunatics eat baby mice dipped in soy sauce?!’

It seemed impossible to adjust to life in the Tang Family.

No, was it adapting to the Central Plains?

I even started to wonder if I should start providing proper rations to the martial artists.

‘Why would they eat that, seriously!’

***

If you find any errors or have suggestions, please feel free to provide feedback.

Thank you for reading!

[Author – 에르훗]

[Translator – bjgoofy]