Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang

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Chapter 2: The Mysterious Illness

“It’s been three days since the old man Cheolsan regained his strength.”

We were traveling from village to village, gathering information around the waste canal, all in search of the whereabouts of the Blood Hand Demon, Tak Woon-yang.

Old man Cheolsan explained that to master the Blood Water Poison Claw, he needed human blood and marrow, so by checking reports of missing persons in the nearby villages, we could quickly narrow down the location of that rascal’s hideout.

My role would come afterward.

“Is that so?”

“Yes, elder. While there are usually one or two cases each year where someone goes missing in the jungle, it’s rare for many people to disappear at once or frequently. Most missing persons are found quickly unless in special circumstances.”

“Thank you for your words, village chief.”

“It’s nothing. It’s an honor to assist the renowned head of the Four Heavenly Houses.”

“Well then, that’s enough for today.”

In the last village we reached, a day’s journey from the waste canal, we interviewed the chief about any missing persons and returned without gaining any significant information.

The response across the villages was consistently the same, indicating that while individuals might sometimes get lost in the dense jungle, mass disappearances were unheard of.

“Is there nothing unusual in this village either?”

“It’s strange, Junior Hero. When that rascal revealed himself after spotting our Tang Clan’s warriors, I thought he would be nearby…”

If he had shown himself once he detected us, I thought his base would be close to our location. Yet, despite searching every village within a day’s radius, no traces of the guy were found.

If he was known by someone or at least seen by one, there should have been some clues; however, there was nothing.

‘Isn’t this odd?’

Although I thought Cheolsan’s reasoning was plausible enough to join the search, the lack of evidence was troubling.

That’s why, as I left the last village, I recalled the rascal’s remark when he appeared.

People typically let slip information about themselves unintentionally.

‘What exactly did he say…? Ah!’

As I focused and recalled his words, the first thing that came to mind was when he had grabbed me by the neck.

“When the Tang Clan members came to Hainan Island, I thought I would find you alone here, injured as the son of Mandok God.”

From the rascal’s first words, something clicked, and I hurriedly asked old man Cheolsan.

“Ah! Elder, do you remember what that rascal said when he appeared?”

“What he said when he showed up? I can’t quite recall, do you remember?”

‘Ah, right, the old man was knocked out cold, so he wouldn’t remember.’

Everyone has their embarrassing moments, and those should stay hidden.

If he truly didn’t remember, there was no point in reminding him, so I merely nodded and replied.

“Oh… You don’t remember? I recalled him saying, ‘When the Tang Clan members came to Hainan Island…’”

“And?”

Old man Cheolsan, a novice in the art of deduction, looked puzzled.

Suppressing my frustration, I answered.

“Now, listen well. He said, ‘When the Tang Clan members came to Hainan Island,’ didn’t he?”

“Right?”

“That means he must have heard that the Tang Clan had entered Hainan Island from someone. If we can find where the Tang Clan passed, we might identify who informed him about our people coming to Hainan Island.”

“By checking with the herbalists or by describing the rascal’s appearance to see if anyone noticed him.”

“Oh! That’s brilliant! Junior Hero, I thought you only knew about poisons, but you’re quite intelligent in other matters too! How did you deduce that? Like you had the wit of a Zhuge!”

‘Well, frequenting escape rooms and collaborating in detective games with other YouTubers does help.’

Thus, our investigation resumed.

Fortunately, as soon as the Tang Clan arrived in Hainan, they headed straight to a village with herbalists in the north, and it was near my location that I eventually managed to hear about the rascal.

“Ah! You’re talking about the one with the red hands?”

“Oh! You know of him?”

“Yes! He shows up once a month to buy grains. I heard it takes him three days to reach here from the inner part of the island! He usually buys a month’s worth and a bit extra.”

“Oh! Thank you!”

Precious information confirmed at the author’s rice shop.

The rascal had been purchasing rice once a month.

“Then, should we check the villages within a three-day travel?”

Having let slip his approximate location, it seemed we would be able to determine the nearby villages from the harbor. However, old man Cheolsan shook his head.

“No, after listening to you, Junior Hero, I realized we can’t think so simply.”

“Not simply?”

His words seemed almost meant as an indirect jab at me.

Losing a point on his interview score for that, I asked again.

“Then what’s the alternative?”

“Given he’s a martial artist, he wouldn’t need to walk for three days, but could cover that distance with his Lightness Skill. If he visits once a month, how could he only carry enough for ten days? Considering his travel speed and his level of martial arts, it would be a week’s journey—no less.”

“Oh, that makes sense…”

The mention of Lightness Skill brought back the thrill I had felt riding on old man Cheolsan’s back.

He shot forth several meters with each step we took.

‘That Lightness Skill really is incredible. That earned him +10 points in my view.’

“And, he likely doesn’t have a disciple.”

“Oh, right. Since he only buys for a month and ten days, it makes sense!”

“Exactly.”

Old man Cheolsan possessed the wisdom to understand one concept and apply it to many.

If he were in his past life, he could have been a master at escape rooms.

*

“It’s odd.”

A week later, on the west side of Hainan Island.

Old man Cheolsan, having just come from a nearby village, looked pensive, pondering on what he could have missed.

Hainan was as large as combining Gyeonggi and Chungcheong provinces, making it impossible for him and three martial artists to cover the entire area. Therefore, pinpointing locations was crucial, yet we struggled to find traces of the rascal near the locations we had identified.

“If we’re a week’s journey in, it should surely be to the west, but this is strange.”

“Clan Head, he mentioned that his martial arts were similar to the Mandok God. Shouldn’t we check a bit further west by the coast?”

“No, even still, he wouldn’t exert himself buying rice. It has to be around here somewhere.”

If it’s a week’s journey from the harbor, east and south are the sea, north is the harbor.

That leaves only west. I thought I was nearly certain, yet here too, no missing persons could be found.

As we all pondered at the village entrance, the village chief suddenly rushed out, breathless.

“Pant, pant! Elder, there you are!”

“Hmm? Why the hurry? Did something come to mind?”

Nodding, the chief began to catch his breath.

“Y-you should check the Yeojok (tribe) village. I almost forgot! I remember hearing there was some strange plague happening there…”

“A strange plague? The Yeojok?”

A strange disease could be just what we were looking for.

Old man Cheolsan looked at me, puzzled, as if asking what ‘Yeo’ was.

Since he was unfamiliar with Hainan, I explained patiently.

“There are two tribes living here aside from the Han people, known as the Rijok and Yeojok. The Rijok tends not to be friendly towards Han people, but the Yeojok is generally more hospitable, although their attitudes can vary from village to village.”

Minority tribes, Rijok and Yeojok, inhabit Hainan.

While the Rijok often keep visitors away, the Yeojok are a friendly minority that welcomes guests, offering food and hospitality.

I had a good impression of them ever since I received their assistance when I got lost in the jungle while hunting snakes.

“Is that so? Then we should definitely check it out. Thank you, chief. By the way, do you know where this strange disease occurred?”

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

“Thanks!”

Riding on old man Cheolsan’s back for half a day, we surged through the jungle and finally reached the coast. As we moved along the shoreline, a plume of smoke caught my eye.

Just up ahead, the peaks of the mountains near the coast revealed roofs rising like pine mushrooms through the jungle foliage.

“Over there!”

“If we head toward the village entrance, the Yeojok will likely greet us as guests.”

“I understand. We must find the entrance.”

After briefly searching along the mountainside below, we spotted what seemed to be the village entrance and arrived just as the villagers began to gather.

Dressed in black garments embroidered with red threads, these people emerged from the crowd.

With shimmering metal decorations on their chests and wearing traditional black high socks, they were indeed the Yeojok.

“What brings the Han people to our Yeojok village?”

Among the crowd, an elder appeared with a couple of young men from the village.

It seemed he was the village chief or patriarch.

“I am Cheolsan, Clan Head of the Tang Clan from Sichuan. The reason for our visit is…”

As old man Cheolsan began to converse with the Yeojok chief, I observed the villagers’ demeanor at the entrance.

Since the moment we arrived, something felt off.

The village seemed to lack vitality.

Children were not playing, women’s voices were absent, and even the birds usually chirping were silent.

Moreover, given Hainan’s warm climate, people tended to be lethargic in the midday heat, yet the newly emerged Yeojok looked strangely lifeless.

More than half of them wore vacant expressions, looking utterly drained of energy.

‘What’s going on? They look like they’ve taken some sort of drug?’

As I registered this oddity, the chief’s stern voice rang out.

“We know nothing about any disappearances, and there’s been nothing wrong in our village. Now, please, leave us in peace.”

“But with so few people around… and what about this strange disease?”

“Not a matter for the Han to concern themselves with!”

Normally, when guests approach the Yeojok village, the women greet them at the entrance and guide them inside. But this was an unusual situation.

As I glanced toward the source of the sound, old man Cheolsan looked back at me, with an expression suggesting my explanation about their hospitality was a bit off.

‘No, I did say it varies case by case…’

And in that moment—

Thud!

A sound of something collapsing echoed, and one of the villagers watching us fell to the ground.

‘A child?’

As one person crumpled, the crowd parted, revealing the tiny figure of a young girl gasping for breath, her chest heaving up and down rapidly.

At the same moment, the village chief dashed over, cradling the child in his arms and shouting.

“Cough, cough! M-Mae Jin! No, not her! She’s the only one left in my family; how could you get the strange disease too!”

The old man wept uncontrollably, holding the girl close.

Old man Cheolsan quickly rushed over and offered to help.

He claimed to have some medical knowledge.

“Elder, I have studied medicine; let me examine her!”

“Y-you’ve studied medicine? You mean the medicine of the Central Plains!?”

“Yes. I may not be a full-fledged physician, but I understand medical texts and practices, so let me take a look at the child.”

The atmosphere shifted dramatically from one where we were unwelcome to being embraced as if we were the gods of healing.

“P-please! Save my Mae Jin! The strange disease ravages our village; the children are dying, and even the healthy are suffering! We have tried to call for a Han physician, but he hasn’t come here!”

“Understood. We need to take the child back to your house first.”

“Right! What are you all doing? Quickly, escort the physician and his party to our home!”

Evidently, regardless of the era, the healer is treated with reverence.

Now that Cheolsan had claimed to know medicine, I began to see the Four Heavenly Houses in a new light.

Since they were rumored to train their martial arts using poisons, it felt a bit unsettling, but as a healer…

‘Physician’s reputation adds more points to his score.’