Chapter 02
“A universal ointment, you say?”
“Yes.”
“When you say ointment, do you mean the kind that’s applied to wounds or used as a poultice for boils?”
“It can be used for those purposes, but it has many more applications.”
“Hmm? Many applications? Such as?”
Dang Unsang smiled with interest as he watched his seven-year-old son speak so clearly and confidently.
“It could be used for women’s cosmetics, and also for applying our Tang Family’s poisons onto weapons.”
“Don’t you know that our family has already been coating hidden weapons with poison?”
“I do. However, from what I’ve seen, only a few poisons are suitable for that purpose, such as the venom of poison dart frogs from the southern jungles or the venom of certain snakes, which are applied to shuriken, daggers, feather needles, and similar weapons.”
“Well, that’s true.”
Naturally, the Sichuan Tang Family had long coated their hidden weapons with poison.
The problem was that only a handful of poisons could actually be used this way.
Poisons that were too liquid would quickly drip off or evaporate, making them ineffective.
Powdered poisons couldn’t be applied at all.
There were only a few poisons that were sticky enough to adhere to weapons while remaining potent for long periods without drying out.
No matter how deadly a poison was, if it couldn’t be coated onto a weapon, the only options were to slip it into food or scatter it as powder on the wind.
As a result, even if someone developed one of the Ten Greatest Deadly Poisons under Heaven, there were only a limited number of ways to use it.
There was even a saying:
“As long as you don’t eat food offered by others, even the Tang Family’s poison isn’t that frightening.”
“If poison is mixed into the universal ointment I’m proposing, it will become possible to coat hidden weapons with all kinds of compounded poisons.”
“Hmm…”
The Tang Family already had a solution to this problem.
The hidden weapons whose manufacturing techniques had since been lost were originally designed with special internal compartments that stored poison.
The blueprints still exist in secret manuals, but the most important parts are missing. They’re basically useless.
The reason was the closed master-apprentice tradition among craftsmen, along with political struggles over status.
Craftsmen never completely passed down their techniques, not even to their own children.
They believed keeping part of the knowledge secret increased their value and strengthened their influence within the family.
Then, after several bloody massacres claimed the lives of most of those master craftsmen and hidden weapon experts…
Their techniques disappeared with them.
That was why Huiyeom’s proposal was so appealing.
Seeing that his son had clearly thought this through, Dang Unsang pondered for a while before nodding.
“…Your reasoning makes sense. Then how do you intend to make it?”
“I’ve come up with a few ideas, but they still require research.
With that in mind… could you assign me a servant and grant me access to the medicinal storage?”
“Hmm…”
Dang Unsang thought for a moment.
Although the family’s finances were declining, they weren’t so poor that they had to stop a child’s hobby.
In fact, it was encouraging that the future head of the Tang Family—a family famous for its poisons—wanted to study medicine and make remedies himself.
Medicine isn’t something that can be made easily… but this is the first time my son has shared one of his ambitions. Just because it’s likely to fail doesn’t mean I should stop him.
In the end, Dang Unsang nodded.
“I’ll have the Inner Hall assign you a maid. You may do as you wish, but don’t waste any excessively precious medicinal ingredients.”
“Thank you, Father.”
Dang Huiyeom bowed respectfully before leaving.
Watching his son walk away, Dang Unsang muttered with a smile.
“That boy… It’s good that he’s so mature for his age, but isn’t he a little too formal with his own father…?”
Though slightly disappointed, he couldn’t hide his pride.
Looking up at the sky, he smiled.
“It probably won’t happen… but if what Yeom says really becomes reality, that would be wonderful.”
Meanwhile, completely unaware of his father’s mixed feelings, Huiyeom headed for the medicinal storage.
After presenting the handwritten authorization from the family head, the pharmacist on duty reluctantly allowed him inside.
“So… an ointment. Then what ingredients do you need? Normally you’d need honey, beef tallow, or pork fat. What medicinal ingredients will you use for its effects?”
Traditionally, ointments were made by slowly boiling honey, beef tallow, pork fat, and various medicinal herbs in carefully guarded proportions.
But Huiyeom shook his head.
“My ointment won’t contain any of those.”
“…What?”
The pharmacist couldn’t hide his confusion.
Ignoring his expression, Huiyeom spoke with surprising specificity.
“Do you have any oil without much odor? The cheaper and easier to obtain, the better.”
“Hmm…”
After thinking for a moment, the pharmacist nodded.
“In that case, what about camellia oil or safflower oil? Neither has much smell, and both are cheaper than animal fat.”
“How viscous are they?”
“They’re both liquid oils. They aren’t sticky like honey, nor do they harden like beef tallow or pork fat, making them unsuitable for ordinary ointments.
Even if you mixed them with honey, the honey would become thinner and lose its stickiness.
Boiling them won’t make them thicker either. They’re mainly cooking oils.”
“I see. Then could you get me those two oils and some honeycomb?”
“Honeycomb? From honeybees or hornets?”
“Honeybees.”
“Of course. We keep both since they’re used as medicinal ingredients…”
“Then I’d like five doe of each oil, and one geun of dried honeycomb.”
“That much?”
“…Is there a problem?”
The pharmacist thought it was an excessive amount for what seemed like a child’s game.
But then he noticed Huiyeom’s calm expression and the dark green robe he wore.
Only members of the main Tang bloodline were permitted to wear that robe.
There was no benefit in arguing with him.
“Not at all. Where should I deliver them?”
“There’s a kitchen here, isn’t there? Bring everything there.”
Preparing medicine… in the kitchen? Honestly…
Still, an order was an order.
The pharmacist recorded the withdrawal in the ledger and had servants carry everything to the kitchen.
“Good.”
“Let’s begin the experiment.”
What Huiyeom intended to create was…
Natural Vaseline.
Ordinary Vaseline was produced by refining petroleum residue left over after distillation.
Although its raw material was petroleum, it was surprisingly non-toxic and was used for countless purposes.
Some people even consumed it.
But the natural Vaseline Huiyeom intended to make wasn’t derived from petroleum.
Instead, it would use the paraffin contained in honeycomb.
Even in the twenty-first century, some parents of children with sensitive skin preferred making this natural paraffin-based Vaseline instead of using commercial petroleum jelly.
My sister-in-law was such an overprotective mother that she dragged me into making natural Vaseline and handmade soap with her.
Who would have thought that experience would ever become useful?
Life really was unpredictable.
Huiyeom chuckled to himself.
In Huiyeom’s opinion, the Tang Family’s poisons were still terrifyingly lethal.
The problem was using them effectively.
Back when the family’s hidden weapon techniques were intact, this weakness wasn’t particularly noticeable.
Enemies busy dodging hidden weapons from every direction would unknowingly inhale airborne poison.
But now that the web of hidden weapon techniques had disappeared…
No enemy would simply stand still and allow themselves to be poisoned.
As a result, the family had been forced to spread poison over wide areas to ensure exposure.
That only worsened their financial problems.
Since restoring their lost hidden weapon techniques wasn’t something that could be done overnight…
His solution was simple.
Increase the lethality of every hidden weapon by coating it with poison.
The Tang Family had attempted something similar before.
They had tried mixing poison with honey or conventional ointments to coat weapons.
But that created new problems.
The smell.
And portability.
A throwing knife coated in poisoned honey gave off a sweet scent that attracted insects.
Traditional ointments produced an unpleasant greasy odor.
That made them useless for assassinations.
The smell alone would reveal the hidden weapon’s presence.
On top of that, the sticky coating got all over clothing.
Huiyeom believed he could solve all of those problems by creating Vaseline and designing a specialized hidden weapon case.
That was why he had begun this project.
Just as he was about to start his experiment…
A young girl approached and bowed respectfully.
She had unusually pale skin, elegant features, and full red lips.
“Are you the maid assigned to assist me?”
“Yes. This servant is called Yeeun.”
“Your family name?”
“…Before my family fell, we bore the surname Han.”
With lowered eyelashes, the maid answered politely and gracefully.
Huiyeom unconsciously tilted his head.
“How old are you this year?”
“Twelve.”
“You carry yourself with remarkable elegance. Your manners are calm and refined—quite unusual for someone your age.
You must have received an excellent upbringing.
Were you originally from a noble family?”
The moment those words left Huiyeom’s mouth…
Everyone in the kitchen stared blankly at him.
Who’s talking to whom?
Is that a child, an adult… or some kind of spirit?
He’s seven? You’re joking.
The way Huiyeom spoke was far stranger than anything expected from a seven-year-old.
Of course…
That was partly intentional.
To carry out all the plans in his head, he needed everyone around him to recognize him as an extraordinary genius.
What he didn’t realize was that he had gone beyond “genius” and entered the territory of “bizarre.”
Yeeun blinked in surprise before lowering her head again.
“My family was hardly the only noble house to fall.
Even so, the Tang Family showed us mercy and allowed us to live with dignity.
For that, I am deeply grateful.”
“…Then your honored father and mother?”
“The Tang Family buried them in a proper, sunny grave.”
“…I see. That is truly unfortunate.”
Huiyeom sighed like an old man before shaking his head.
“My condolences.”
“It is all right.”
“The past is past. One must live for the future.
Today, however, I require your assistance.”
“Please give your orders.”
“I’m making a new ointment. First, I need you to crush this honeycomb into small pieces…”
“Yes.”
As the maids passing through the kitchen watched curiously, Huiyeom and Yeeun began their experiments.
First, they sterilized a container with distilled alcohol.
Then they added measured amounts of oil and honeycomb.
Heating it gently over a low flame, they slowly melted everything while pressing and stirring it with a spatula.
They added more oil until the mixture reached the proper consistency.
Then they poured it into bowls and allowed it to cool and harden.
They repeated the process over and over, adjusting the ratios of honeycomb and oil until the hardened Vaseline achieved the texture Huiyeom wanted.
As she worked, Yeeun asked,
“Young Master, wouldn’t honey, beef tallow, or pork fat make the ointment harden much more easily than these liquid oils?”
“Those are the traditional ingredients.
But beef tallow and pork fat have strong smells and spoil easily, making them unsuitable for this universal ointment.”
“The smell?”
“Yes. Smell is extremely important.
If the enemy notices a hidden weapon because of its scent, then it ceases to be a hidden weapon.”
“Ah…”
Hidden weapons were effective precisely because they remained hidden.
If someone could locate them by smell, that would be a major disadvantage.
“So that’s why you’re avoiding beef tallow and pork fat.”
“Exactly. I specifically asked for oils with almost no scent.”
“What about honey?”
“Honey doesn’t spoil, which is an advantage. But it has a sweet smell and attracts insects.”
“I understand…”
Yeeun lowered her head.
“Please forgive this lowly servant for asking such presumptuous questions.”
“There’s nothing to forgive. It’s natural to ask questions when you’re curious.”
“Then… may I ask one more?”
“Go ahead.”
“If you want the poison to fully soak into the ointment, shouldn’t the poison be mixed in while it’s being heated?”
“That’s how medicinal ointments are normally made.
But most animal-based poisons lose their potency when exposed to heat, so that method won’t work.
Mineral poisons are different.
Besides, this ointment isn’t meant solely for poison.
It’s a base material that can be used for many different purposes.
Like a blank sheet of paper.”
“What kinds of purposes?”
“Medicine can be mixed into it to make healing salves.
Poison can be mixed into it for coating hidden weapons.
Pigments can be added to make cosmetics.
Finely ground charcoal can be mixed in to create eyebrow makeup.
The ointment itself also retains moisture well, so it can simply be used on dry or cracked skin.”
“It truly is a versatile medicine.”
“Exactly.”
Yeeun nodded.
Then she tilted her head.
“But… isn’t this your first time making this universal ointment?
How do you already know so many of its uses and properties?”
“Ahem!”
Huiyeom cleared his throat before shamelessly replying,
“When one reaches my level… such things can simply be predicted.”
“…I see.”
Then why are we still experimenting because you don’t know the exact proportions? Yeeun wondered.
Fortunately for Huiyeom, she wisely kept that thought to herself.
Completely unaware—or perhaps pretending not to notice—Huiyeom wiped the sweat from his brow while stirring the pot.
“Once this universal ointment is complete…
Every weapon in our family will be coated with deadly poison.
Poison that remains potent for a very long time.”
And not long afterward…
Huiyeom successfully completed his first batch of Vaseline.
