Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang

It had been three days since Cheolsan managed to pull himself together.

In that time, we had been visiting nearby villages around the abandoned Daoist temple, gathering information.

The goal? To find the hideout of Tak Wonyang, the Blood-Handed Rakshasa (혈수나찰).

Cheolsan explained that to master the Blood-Water Poison Claw (血水毒爪), human blood and bone marrow were essential. By investigating reports of missing people from nearby villages, we could pinpoint the general area of his hideout.

My role would come into play afterward.

“Is that so?”

“Yes, elder. Occasionally, people go missing in the jungle—maybe one or two a year. But we’ve never had regular disappearances or large groups of people vanishing at once. Even when someone does go missing, they’re often found later under normal circumstances.”

“Thank you, Village Chief.”

“No need to thank me. It’s an honor to assist the head of the illustrious Tang Clan.”

“Well then, we’ll be on our way.”

This was the last village within a day’s travel of the abandoned Daoist temple.

As in the previous villages, we left with no substantial leads.

What we sought were reports of mass disappearances or unusual activity. However, every village gave the same reply: occasional disappearances in the dense jungle, but no patterns or large-scale incidents.

“There’s nothing out of the ordinary in this village either, is there?”

“Strange, isn’t it, young one? If that fiend revealed himself after spotting our Tang warriors, then his base must be near here….”

If Tak Wonyang had noticed Tang Clan warriors and chosen to reveal himself, it stood to reason his base would be close to our abandoned temple. Yet, despite combing through every village within a day’s radius, there wasn’t a single clue.

Not a single person had seen him—or at least no one willing to speak up.

"Something’s not adding up."

I agreed with Cheolsan’s theory and joined the search, but the lack of any trace felt increasingly suspicious.

As we left the last village, I found myself recalling the words Tak Wonyang had spoken when he first appeared.

People often unconsciously drop information about themselves during a conversation.

"What did that bastard say back then… Ah!"

Focusing on the memory, I vividly recalled his first words as he grabbed me by the nape of my neck.

"I heard the Tang Clan entered Hainan, so I came to see… and found the Heavenly Poison Deity’s son injured and alone."

The moment he appeared, that’s what he said. Something clicked, and I hurriedly asked Cheolsan.

“Elder, do you remember what that fiend said when he first appeared?”

“What he said? Hmm… I can’t quite recall. Do you remember?”

‘Ah, that’s right. The elder was too dazed after being slammed into the stone steps to remember anything.’

Everyone has their embarrassing moments, and some are best left buried. There was no need to remind him, so I nodded.

“Ah… You don’t remember? Well, I just recalled. That bastard said, ‘I heard the Tang Clan entered Hainan, so I came to see….’”

“And?”

Cheolsan, seemingly unfamiliar with even basic mystery tropes, looked lost.

Suppressing my frustration, I explained patiently.

“Now, listen carefully. He said, ‘I heard the Tang Clan entered Hainan.’ Right?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“That means someone must have told him the Tang Clan had arrived in Hainan. If we trace the places the Tang Clan visited, we might be able to find the person who informed him. With a description—say, a montage or details of his appearance—we could ask if anyone has seen him.”

“Oh! That makes sense! Young one, I thought you only knew about venomous creatures, but you’re full of wisdom. How did you figure that out? You remind me of someone from the Zhuge family!”

‘What can I say? Spending time in escape rooms and playing detective games with other streamers hones your skills.’

With that, our inquiries resumed.

Fortunately, the Tang Clan’s movements in Hainan followed a clear pattern: from the northern port to a village known for its herbalists, and finally to the area near the abandoned Daoist temple.

Eventually, at the port, we heard an intriguing lead.

“Ah! You must mean that man with the red hands?”

“Oh! You know him?”

“Yes, he comes by every month like clockwork to buy grain. He mentioned it takes him three days to travel here, so he must live deeper inside the island. Whenever he comes, he buys enough for about forty days.”

“Oh-ho! Thank you!”

This invaluable piece of information was confirmed at the grain shop: the fiend regularly purchased rice monthly.

“So, should we check all the villages within three days’ travel from the port?”

Tak Wonyang had inadvertently hinted at his location. Checking villages within three days’ travel seemed like the next logical step, but Cheolsan shook his head.

“No, I’ve been reflecting on your earlier insight. It’s not that simple.”

“Not that simple?”

His comment sounded like a subtle jab.

Marking him down in my mental interview score, I asked again.

“Then what?”

“He’s a martial artist, young one. It’s not three days’ travel by walking—it’s three days’ travel using qinggong.”

Cheolsan continued, “If he comes monthly to buy grain, why would he buy enough for forty days? Considering his martial skills and the time it takes to travel back and forth, his base is likely seven days away by foot. That’s a more reasonable estimate.”

“Ah, I see….”

I suddenly recalled the thrilling sensation of clinging to Cheolsan’s back as he used qinggong. Every step covered several meters in an instant.

‘His qinggong was impressive. That earned him +10 points in the mental interview.’

“And he likely doesn’t have any disciples,” Cheolsan added.

“Ah, that makes sense. After all, he only buys enough food for one person for forty days.”

“Precisely.”

Cheolsan, ever the teacher, managed to deduce a wealth of information from a single clue.

If this had been the past life, he could’ve been an escape room master himself.

***

"Strange."

Ten days later, in the western region of Hainan.

After hearing the same repetitive stories from another village, Cheolsan rubbed his chin with a perplexed expression.

Hainan Island was vast, as large as combining the provinces of Gyeonggi-do and Chungcheong-do.

With only Cheolsan and his three warriors conducting the search, narrowing down the target location was crucial. Yet, even around the area we had identified, we found no traces of the fiend.@@novelbin@@

"If it's a seven-day journey, it must be westward. Strange, isn't it?"

"Clan Head, since you mentioned that the fiend’s martial arts resemble those of the Heavenly Poison Deity, perhaps we should search further west, toward the coastline?"

"No. Even if he went to buy rice, he wouldn’t have exerted himself fully. This must be the correct area."

Seven days from the port meant the east and south were bordered by the sea, while the north was where the port was located.

That left only the west.

The assumption seemed almost certain, yet there were no reports of missing people here either.

As we stood at the edge of the village, deliberating, the hurried voice of the village chief called out.

“Ah, there you are, elder!”

“What’s the rush? Did you remember something?”

At Cheolsan’s question, the chief nodded, panting heavily as he caught his breath.

“Well… please… check the Lizu village near the coast. I’d forgotten, but I heard about some strange incidents happening there….”

“Strange incidents? Lizu?”

Strange incidents could very well align with what we were searching for.

Cheolsan turned to me with a puzzled expression, clearly unfamiliar with the term "Lizu."

Knowing he lacked knowledge of Hainan, I explained calmly.

“In Hainan, besides the Han people, there are two other ethnic groups: the Lizu and the Yuezu (畲族). The Lizu aren’t very friendly toward the Han people, but the Yuezu vary by village. Some are quite amicable toward the Han, even offering food and hospitality to visitors.”

The Lizu and Yuezu were minority groups native to Hainan.

Unlike the Lizu, who often barred outsiders from entering their villages, the Yuezu were generally welcoming. If a visitor arrived, they’d typically offer food and shelter.

I had a positive impression of them myself, having once been helped by the Yuezu when I got lost in the jungle while catching snakes.

"Is that so? Then we must visit that village. Thank you, Chief. Do you know where the incident occurred?"

“Yes, it’s a day’s journey northwest from here.”

"Thank you!"

Riding on Cheolsan’s back, it took us half a day to reach the jungle near the coast. After some travel along the coastline, we spotted smoke rising in the distance.

On a ridge near the coast, nestled among the jungle trees, were roofs poking out like mushrooms.

"That must be it!"

"At the village entrance, the Yuezu will likely welcome us as guests."

"Understood. Let’s find the entrance."

Descending the ridge and searching the coastal area, we eventually found what looked like a wooden gate. As we approached, people began to gather at the entrance.

They were wearing black clothing embroidered with red thread, adorned with jangling metal ornaments on their chests. Both men and women wore short skirts paired with black thigh-high socks. These were the Yuezu.

“What brings the Han people to a Yuezu village?”

Amid the gathered crowd, an elderly man appeared, accompanied by two or three young men. He seemed to be the village chief or headman.

“I am Tang Cheolsan, Clan Head of the Tang Clan in Sichuan. We’ve come here to…”

As Cheolsan began conversing with the Yuezu chief, I observed the gathered villagers.

From the moment we arrived, something felt off.

The atmosphere was incredibly somber.

How should I put it? The village seemed devoid of vitality.

There were no children running around, no chatter from women, not even the usual sound of birdsong. Everything was eerily silent.

Moreover, while Hainan’s hot climate often left people sluggish during the day, there was something particularly unusual about the Yuezu here.

More than half of them had vacant eyes and looked utterly drained.

‘What is this? They look like they’re all under the influence of something.’

They appeared dazed, as if intoxicated or drugged.

Just as I was pondering the strangeness of it all, the chief’s firm voice rang out.

“We know nothing of any disappearances, and nothing unusual has happened here. You’d best leave.”

"But with so few people compared to the number of houses... And what about the rumors of strange illnesses?"

“That’s none of the Han people’s concern!”

Normally, when visitors came to a Yuezu village, women would rush out to welcome them and guide them inside. This was far from the warm reception I had described to Cheolsan earlier.

As I turned toward the sound of the conversation, I noticed Cheolsan giving me a look that said my explanation might have been inaccurate.

‘Hey, I did say it’s case-by-case….’

And then, suddenly—

Thud.

The sound of something collapsing broke the tense atmosphere. One of the villagers watching us had fallen to the ground.

‘A child?’

The crowd parted, revealing a young girl lying on the ground, her chest heaving as she struggled to breathe.

The chief ran over, cradling the child in his arms as he wailed.

“No… no, Meijin-ah! You’re all I have left in this world! How could this illness take even you?”

Tears streaming down his face, the chief sobbed over the child.

Cheolsan rushed over and made an offer.

“Elder, I have some knowledge of medicine. Allow me to examine her.”

“Medicine? You’ve studied the medicine of the Central Plains!?”

“Yes. Though I’m not a physician, I’ve studied medical texts and techniques. Let me take a look at her.”

The village’s hostility toward us instantly shifted.

The unwanted visitors had suddenly become their saviors.

“P-please! Save our Meijin! A terrible disease is killing our children, and even the strong among us are wasting away. We tried to bring a Han physician, but no one would come this far!”

"Understood. Let’s bring her into a house first."

“O-of course! What are you all waiting for? Escort the physician and his party to my home!”

It seemed even in this era, physicians—or "medical lords," as they were often called—were treated with great reverence.

And with Cheolsan’s declaration of his medical knowledge, the Tang Clan gained a new layer of respect in my eyes.

For a family known for cultivating poison arts, this was an unexpected twist.

‘A medical lord earns extra points.’