Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang

"What? Is that true?"

"Do you really know where it might be?"

The astonished voices and incredulous looks on the two men's faces would have been unthinkable in my past life. It made me realize how far I had fallen after being reincarnated as the infamous Spicy Fabre.

I was once called a walking encyclopedia of snakes, venomous insects, and poisonous creatures.

Sigh… I’ve never faced something like this before in my past life. But then again, my reputation didn’t just die… I literally died. Damn it…

The reality wasn’t that my fame had died—it was that I had.

Shaking off the grim thoughts, I turned to the two men and replied, "Yes. If it’s a large centipede, I think I know where it might be."

"Oh, where do you think it could be?"

"Yes, where is it?"

Their anxious expressions made it clear that they wanted me to spill the answer immediately. However, I decided to ask them about the areas they had already searched first.

I needed to confirm if they had overlooked the place I had in mind. Centipedes, after all, come in a variety of species, each with unique habits and preferred environments.

"Could you tell me which areas you've searched and when?"

The older man exchanged glances with the younger one before nodding.

"We’ve searched the northern and eastern regions over the past few days, mostly during the daytime. The north is mainly along the riverbanks…"

If the northern area was near the river and the eastern area was the jungle, it was no wonder they had been searching in vain for days.

A giant centipede would never favor those locations.

What’s more, centipedes are elusive during the day. Spotting even a glimpse of one would be nearly impossible.

"In that case, it’s only natural that you haven’t found it," I said.

"What? Natural? Why is that? Is there a reason?"

There were dozens of reasons I could give, but I opted for a simple explanation. There was no need to delve into technical details.

"Yes. People often think centipedes can be easily found in dark, damp places or among dense vegetation, but not all centipedes like such environments."

Centipedes are fascinating creatures.

They belong to the phylum Arthropoda, class Chilopoda, and are part of the myriapod group.

As cold-blooded animals, centipedes have unique habits. They tend to claim specific territories and require proper shelters.

Here’s a fun fact: most insects have smooth, water-resistant exoskeletons that allow water droplets to slide off naturally.

However, centipedes have weaker water resistance and small breathing pores on their exoskeletons, making them dislike overly wet areas.

While they need high humidity, too much moisture is detrimental to them. Interestingly, they can’t survive long in overly dry environments either.

This makes them unique, but it also means that large centipedes would avoid riverbanks or jungles where there’s little suitable shelter.

"So, centipedes don’t prefer rotten logs or similar places?"

The older man’s tone suggested he found this hard to grasp.

He seemed to have a basic understanding of centipedes, so I decided to clarify further.

"Some smaller centipedes might be found there, but didn’t you say you were looking for a large centipede?"

"Yes, that’s correct."@@novelbin@@

"Centipedes do like humid environments, but too much moisture is harmful to them. Moreover, large centipedes prefer places where they can hide their bodies. Dense jungles with fallen logs or small river rocks aren’t suitable since they lack proper cover."

It’s easy to assume centipedes are fond of wet soil because they’re often found there. However, this only applies to well-ventilated environments.

In fact, when raising centipedes, excessive humidity can cause fungal infections that kill them.

"I see. So, where do you think it might be? If we find the Blue-Spotted Centipede in the place you suggest, I’ll make sure you’re generously rewarded!"

Their eager expressions showed they now believed in my explanation.

I pointed toward the west and confidently replied, "You should search the rocky mountain to the west."

Centipedes typically rest under sun-warmed rocks during the day and venture out at night. That’s where they would most likely be.

***

The crimson sunset was burning fiercely, just as the heart of Tang Cheolsan, head of the Sichuan Tang Clan and the Heavenly Poison Scholar (天毒書生), was being consumed with worry.

Another day was coming to an end.

"Clan Leader, could it be that the young man’s words were mistaken?"

The cautious question from the Venom Blood Squad leader made Tang Cheolsan glance at him quietly.

It had been twenty days since they entered Hainan Island and four days since they left the young man’s dilapidated temple.

Tang Cheolsan had not rested properly since leaving the crumbling temple, tirelessly searching alongside the Tang Clan’s warriors. During the day, they scoured the rocky mountain, and at night, they combed the border between the mountain and the river.

All of this was because they had pinned their last hope on the advice given by the strange young man.

"If it’s a large centipede, it must need a significant amount of water. At night, it would likely be found near the mountain and the river's edge. During the day, check under large rocks in the mountain. Centipedes warm themselves under the sun-heated rocks during the day and use that warmth to move at night."

‘Was the young man wrong?’

Behind the squad leader were the exhausted warriors of the Tang Clan.

Their faces were weary, their bodies covered in dirt and sweat, and their eyes begged for a moment’s rest.

Despite their exhaustion, they did not voice a single complaint. Tang Cheolsan knew this was because they understood his feelings.

Realizing his warriors could not continue searching today, Tang Cheolsan decided to grant them rest.

"Let’s stop for today. Eat dinner and send a signal to my father’s group."

"Understood, Clan Leader."

– Whistle!

As per his command, a signal arrow shot into the air, and the warriors began to lay their tired bodies on the mountain’s mid-slopes.

"Ah, I’m dead tired."

"Finally, we can rest. I hope that young man was right. Why can’t we find that damned centipede?"

"I know, right? The young man seemed sharp enough, though."

The reason Tang Cheolsan had brought not only the Venom Blood Squad, the Tang Clan’s elite warriors, but also his father, Heavenly Poison Deity (萬毒神君) Tang Mu-seong, all the way from Sichuan to this remote Hainan Island was simple: it was for his beloved daughter.

His daughter, Tang Hwa-eun, was regarded as one of the most exceptional talents in the Tang Clan’s history.

At just eighteen, she had reached the level of a first-rate martial artist. However, her ambition for mastery in poison arts led her into Qi Deviation (走火入魔).

In the Tang Clan, Qi Deviation in poison arts was equivalent to poisoning oneself, a deadly affliction.

Even Tang Mu-seong, known as the Heavenly Poison Deity, could not detoxify his granddaughter’s condition. Now, in Sichuan, her life was hanging by a thread as the poison slowly consumed her marrow.

The clan elders and even his wife had used their internal energy to block her energy channels and slow the poison's spread, but it was only a temporary solution—a mere delay of the inevitable.

To save his daughter, the only solution was to raise her martial arts to a level high enough to overcome the poison by force.

For that, they needed the Neidan (內丹) of a potent venomous creature capable of neutralizing the poison within her body while enhancing her internal energy.

This was why the Sichuan Tang Clan had requested aid from the Beggars’ Sect and Hao Moon, purchasing information about venomous creatures from all over the Central Plains.

Their warriors had scoured the jungles of Yunnan searching for the Twin-Headed Snake (雙頭蛇) and the forests of Guangxi for the Human-Faced Spider (人面蜘蛛), but all their efforts were in vain.

Eventually, their final hope brought them to Hainan Island.

Years ago, a herbalist had claimed to have seen a large centipede with blue spots in the jungles of Hainan. Such a centipede matched the description of the Blue-Spotted Centipede (靑斑蜈蚣) recorded in the Secret Compendium of Venomous Creatures (天下毒物祕錄).

After confirming the herbalist’s account, they began their search around the abandoned temple, guided by the young man’s peculiar advice.

For three days and nights, they had found no trace of the creature, and Tang Cheolsan's heart was heavy with despair.

‘Has heaven truly forsaken my Hwa-eun, the greatest talent in the Tang Clan’s history?’

After confirming the signal, the rest of the warriors and Tang Mu-seong joined Tang Cheolsan’s group.

"Nothing today either?" Tang Mu-seong asked with a pained expression.

"No, Father… Did you find anything on your side?"

"…No."

Though their faces revealed the truth, the father and son exchanged meaningless questions, desperate for hope.

Tang Hwa-eun had only three months left at best. With travel time accounted for, they had just ten days to find the centipede, adding to their growing desperation.

"Father, what if we search the southern area tomorrow? Since we’ve found nothing so far, perhaps changing our search area…"

Tang Cheolsan cautiously suggested shifting their focus to the south, where they hadn’t searched yet.

"Nothing… No traces at all…"

But just as Tang Mu-seong shook his head in response, his voice suddenly rose with excitement.

"Wait! Nothing? Could it be…!"

Tang Mu-seong’s voice trembled with realization.

"What is it, Father? Did you sense something?"

"No, I didn’t sense or find anything."

Tang Cheolsan frowned at the unexpected response, but Tang Mu-seong continued with fervor.

"That’s exactly it! Think carefully—what have we found in this mountain over the past three days?"

"Nothing… No traces, no droppings, not even bird feathers… Wait!"

A thought struck Tang Cheolsan like lightning.

"Exactly! How could such a vast rocky mountain show no signs of life? Not even a trace of mice or deer?"

As if to confirm their realization, the ground suddenly trembled.

– Thud! Rumble!

The flat rock the warriors had used to light a fire shifted violently and was flung aside, revealing a dark hole beneath it.

– Crash! Boom!

From the opening came a sound that sent chills down their spines.

– Sssss…

Under the dim moonlight, something slowly emerged from the hole.

A massive body with countless legs.

Its back gleamed under the moonlight, displaying vivid blue spots.

"There it is!"

It was the Blue-Spotted Centipede described in the Secret Compendium of Venomous Creatures.

– Drip. Drip.

The creature's venom dripped from its sharp claws, causing the grass below to wither and blacken.

Tang Cheolsan immediately shouted to his warriors, "Everyone, stay on guard! It’s the Blue-Spotted Centipede!"

Just as the young man had said, the creature had been hiding beneath the rocks.

「“So, it really was on the rocky mountain?”

“I told you I’m an expert in this field. Trust me.”

“An expert?”」

The young man’s seemingly absurd claims echoed in Tang Cheolsan’s mind.