“That’s Chengdu’s major dark sects: Fengyuan Sect (風原門), Yuanhou Sect (元侯門), and Paeryong Pavilion (覇龍閣), along with Mianyang’s White Jade Ghost-Slaying Sect (白玉鬼殺派). That damned informant really sold the sa intel everywhere,” said Deputy Commander Gu Pae, scanning the faces of those gathered in the clearing.
The situation was more than a double-booking—it was a pentabooking disaster. The scoundrels who sold the intel to us had already sold it to four other major sects in Sichuan. The result? Five groups, each claiming ownership of the Golden-Haired Bee King’s honey, glaring at each other in disbelief near the massive dead tree where the hive was supposedly located.
“The Tang Clan of Sichuan… here?” one of the opposing leaders stamred.
“No way… Did those insane bastards sell the sa intel to the Tang Clan too?!”
“This is madness! How could anyone dare sell false information to the Tang Clan?!”
My sister’s lips trembled with barely contained fury, her expression enough to make shudder internally.
“Those two fools who sold us the intel are definitely dood. They’ll never enjoy a peaceful retirent,” I thought, silently offering a mont of pity for them.
While I mused over the sellers’ impending doom, my sister strode forward with her characteristic sharpness, addressing the deputy commander of the Venom Blood Squad.
“Whoever they are, their guts must be made of steel. Selling us Tang Clan intel and then peddling it to others? Utter madness.”
Her words seed like a prelude, laying the groundwork to assert that we had bought the information first. However, it was clear that her re presence was already causing a stir among the rival sects.
“Wh-what?! Poisonous Flower of the Laurel Clan!”
“Are you saying a direct descendant of the Tang Clan’s Poisonous Flower has co here herself?!”
“This… this is outrageous!”
I hadn’t realized it before, but my sister’s reputation was notorious. The leaders of the other four factions exchanged panicked glances, clearly feeling cornered.
“So, this is what it ans to be part of a Central Plains assassination family. But… what exactly did she do to earn this reputation?”
Curiosity about her past aside, the situation resembled an apartnt rental scam, where multiple tenants were unknowingly leased the sa unit and discovered the deception on moving day. Naturally, I needed to figure out how to resolve this ss. I turned to Deputy Commander Gu Pae for advice, lowering my voice.
[“What do we do in this situation? Should we split the honey?”]
Gu Pae shot a look that scread, “Are you even listening to yourself?” He shook his head and muttered in annoyance.
[“That damned informant caused a real headache, but split it? Who would dare propose that to the Tang Clan?
“Luckily, they’re all dark sects, so they’ll back off without too much fuss. If we were dealing with righteous sects, it’d turn into tedious negotiations. Still…”]
[“Still?”]
[“We might not see the last of them. They’ll pretend to retreat, but they won’t go far. These dark sects act like rats—hiding nearby, waiting to pounce if we fail. They’re like maggots drawn to corpses.”]
I grimaced, understanding his aning. Gu Pae’s words carried a certain disdain for the gathered sects, and it seed he wasn’t wrong.
anwhile, my sister took the lead in resolving the situation with a calm but icy tone.
“So, what will it be? Are you planning to compete with the Tang Clan over the Golden-Haired Bee King’s honey?”
Her voice dripped with the unspoken implication: “Do you seriously think you can challenge us?”
The leaders exchanged glances, weighing their options before responding in turn.
“If the Tang Clan is involved, Fengyuan Sect will withdraw,” said one.
“This is a disaster. We can’t afford to cross the Tang Clan. Yuanhou Sect will retreat,” said another.
“The Poisonous Flower herself? We have no reason to fight over such a low-grade elixir. Paeryong Pavilion will step back,” said a third.
“Damn it! That bastard who sold us this intel is dead at. White Jade Ghost-Slaying Sect will also withdraw,” said the final leader.
With reluctant expressions and muttered curses, the groups retreated in the direction we had co from, leaving the clearing to us.
Once the dark sects disappeared, we established a temporary camp to strategize. Observing the Golden-Haired Bee King’s hive from a safe distance, we began discussing our next steps.
“Two of you prepare dinner while another two keep watch. Those sect mbers might not have truly left,” ordered the squad leader. “Gu Pae, scout their positions and report back.”
“Understood.” Gu Pae activated his lightness skill and vanished into the forest while the rest of the group busied themselves setting up camp.
anwhile, I approached my sister, who was resting on a rock, her gaze fixed on the retreating sect mbers with a displeased expression.
“Excuse , Lady Hwa-eun. May I ask you sothing?”
“Yes, Soryong. What is it?” She smiled warmly despite her earlier irritation.
“What exactly is the Black Path? The dark sects? From what the deputy commander said, they don’t sound like pleasant people.”
“Ah… It seems Grandfather skipped so essential lessons in his focus on practical training,” she remarked, motioning for to sit beside her. “I’ll explain. This is important, so don’t forget it.”
How could I forget anything my sister taught ? I resolved to focus all my attention as I took a seat beside her.
“To understand the dark sects, you must first learn the concepts of chivalry (俠), righteousness (義), and compassion (仁),” she began.
“Chivalry, righteousness, and compassion?”
“Righteousness refers to the moral duties of being human. Compassion represents a kind and caring heart. Chivalry combines these principles, symbolized by the character aning ‘to protect soone under one’s arm.’ In essence, it’s the duty to protect the weak…”
Her explanation continued, but the gist was this: Those who adhered to chivalry, righteousness, and compassion were part of the White Path, while those who disregarded these principles were the Black Path. The Tang Clan, despite being a White Path family, prioritized practicality, balancing moral ideals without becoming rigidly bound by them.
As she explained, I realized this system was essentially a moral alignnt scale: White for good, Black for evil, and the Tang Clan sowhere in the pragmatic middle.
“A code of chivalry focused on protecting the weak under one’s arm, huh?”
With a glance at my sister’s arm, I thought to myself, “For now, she’s stronger than . Guess I’ll enjoy being protected under her arm for a while longer.”
To be cradled in her care… it wasn’t such a bad thing.
I silently vowed, “I will beco a true chivalrous hero—worthy of this legacy!”
***
[There it is, the Golden-Haired Bee King (金毛蜂王)!]
Roughly twenty ters from the ancient tree where the beehive was nestled, I crouched with the squad leader and my sister behind a small rock. We had co to scout after setting up camp, with the squad leader and my sister accompanying .
The Tang Clan had a thod for harvesting honey from the Golden-Haired Bee King, but I insisted on inspecting the hive myself to devise a more precise plan.
The giant bees buzzed around the old tree, confirming that this ti it was tree honey, not rock honey—still a valuable find.
[It’s much larger than I imagined. Remarkable,] said my sister in awe.
Indeed, as she had explained before, the Golden-Haired Bee King was as large as a small dog—a truly unique sight. It looked sowhat like a traditional honeybee, but with fur that was thick and fluffy like that of a bumblebee. The golden fur glistened in the sunlight, explaining the na "Golden-Haired Bee King."
[Adorable creatures, aren’t they?] I remarked.
[Adorable? You find that adorable?] my sister countered.
[Round and fluffy—isn’t that the epito of cute?]
[Well… I suppose it’s subjective,] she conceded, though she still seed unconvinced.
As soone who had always admired bees, I couldn’t help but find their plump, golden forms endearing. Dangerous stingers aside, they were undeniably charming.
[The colony isn’t particularly large,] I noted. [Maybe a few hundred bees? Given their size, it makes sense.]
[Colony?]
[Ah, the number of bees in a hive. Normal honeybees can number anywhere from 5,000 to 7,000 in a colony.]
[You can estimate that without even entering the hive?] my sister asked, impressed.
I nodded, explaining, [Bees live highly organized social lives. Worker bees spend their first two weeks inside the hive cleaning, caring for the queen, and maintaining the nest. Once they develop wax-producing glands, they start constructing or repairing the hive. After that, they leave the hive to gather nectar and pollen. Watching the bees returning at sunset gives a good idea of the hive’s population.]
Our observations were interrupted by the squad leader’s warning.
[Soone’s approaching, my lady.]
All of us tensed, eyes fixed on the direction of the intruder. Soon, Deputy Gu Pae appeared, heading toward us from the direction of the camp.
[Quick, send him a voice transmission! He’ll walk right into trouble!] I hissed.
The squad leader imdiately sent a ssage, and Gu Pae stopped just short of the clearing, realizing his mistake. Activating his lightness skill, he quickly joined us on the rock.
[There you are,] Gu Pae said.
The squad leader imdiately asked, [What’s the situation?]
[Just as expected. Those damned sect mbers set up camp on the opposite side. They’ve positioned themselves to avoid detection, but I confird their location.]
[Damned rats!]
The squad leader slamd his fist against the rock, sending a small stone tumbling down.
The worst happened.
A chilling sound arose from the direction of the tree.
Buzzzzzz!
Though thirty ters separated us from the hive, the vibration of the falling rock seed to have disturbed the bees. Their droning, reminiscent of a propeller engine, grew louder. Soon, a few scouts erged from the hive, flying in our direction.
[Retreat!] I shouted.
We hurried back to camp and collapsed onto nearby rocks to catch our breath.
“Whew, that was close,” I said. “As I suspected, they’re sensitive to vibrations.”
“Vibrations?” my sister asked.
“The Golden-Haired Bee King seems to embody all the traits of its kind. Ground-dwelling bees like bumblebees or hornets are incredibly sensitive to vibrations. Though these bees aren’t ground-dwelling, their reaction suggests similar sensitivity,” I explained.
“So stepping into the clearing triggers them?” the squad leader asked.
I nodded. “That seems to be the case.”
The squad leader stroked his chin thoughtfully before suggesting, “In that case, let’s use the Tang Clan’s standard thod tonight.”
The Tang Clan’s thod involved burning mugwort to produce smoke, which would drive the bees away. Mugwort was known for its soothing and insect-repelling properties—an effective and traditional approach.
“Let’s do it,” the squad leader decided. The dark sects were a lingering concern, so acting quickly was the best course of action.
But Gu Pae raised a concern. “Sir, the wind…”
“The wind?” the squad leader echoed.
“The wind is blowing from the hive toward us.”
The squad leader’s face fell. “Damn it! Of all the tis…”
If the wind carried the smoke in the wrong direction, it would render the plan useless. I proposed an alternative.
“What if we light the mugwort on the opposite side?”
“That would place us between the dark sects and the bees,” Gu Pae replied. “While the sect mbers wouldn’t attack us outright, we’d be vulnerable. And having them at our backs would make us uneasy.”
We debated sending soone to confront the sects and demand they leave, but the squad leader dismissed the idea. If they spread out or feigned ignorance, it would complicate matters further.
Frustrated, my sister growled, “I wish I could just wipe them all out!”
I couldn’t help but think, My sister would make an excellent housekeeper after marriage… cleaning house in every sense of the word.
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