Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang

At this point, all I had managed was holding hands and, at most, a hug. Meanwhile, Ji-ryong had apparently gone through an entire jar of my all-natural rouge just from kissing—without even getting chapped lips, thanks to my eco-friendly formula.

A surge of frustration boiled up inside me, but I forced an awkward smile and answered his question.

“Haha... It was quite a generous amount, but you’ve already used it all? Well, uh, I need pearls to make more. Once I return to my clan, I’ll have it prepared and sent to you.”

“Oh, there’s no need to go that far.”

“What? No, it’s no trouble at all—”

“No, that’s not what I meant. In fact, once this matter is settled, I was planning to visit the Tang Clan myself. Would it be alright if we traveled together?”

At first, I thought he was just being polite, declining once before accepting out of courtesy. But no—he was serious. Ji-ryong actually intended to follow me to the Tang Clan.

I couldn’t help but wonder—was he suffering from withdrawal symptoms because he hadn’t kissed anyone recently?

‘Has it been that long since he ran out of rouge? Is he that desperate? Why does everyone I meet lately seem so pent up?’

But then, sensing a gaze over Ji-ryong’s shoulder, I glanced past him. I found Authority Dragon and Sword Dragon—Kwon Ryong and Geom Ryong—nodding their heads in silent agreement.

Tilting my head, I asked, “You two as well?”

“That’s right.”

“Of course, we’re coming too.”

Even Eunbong and Gungbong, standing further back, were looking in this direction, making it obvious that they all intended to tag along.

‘But we’re not close enough for me to invite them to my home, are we?’

Sure, I called them “brothers” out of respect, but that was more of a formal title. I wouldn’t exactly say we had the kind of relationship where I’d naturally invite them over.

Just as I was thinking that, Sword Dragon smiled and said, “Ji-ryong needs treatment, and Eunbong will only be at ease if he gets it.”

“Oh... Right. That’s a good point.”

Now that I thought about it, hadn’t the Heavenly Poison Deity—Ji-ryong’s grandfather—said that his treatment wasn’t finished yet?

I recalled him mentioning that mercury poisoning required long-term care. He had even told Ji-ryong to visit again for follow-ups.

At the same time, the group recovering in Yunnan’s Beast Palace should be able to move around soon. Once they regained their strength, they had also planned to come to the Tang Clan.

Bringing Ji-ryong’s group along and letting them meet up with Peng-hyung and the others wouldn’t be a bad idea.

I remembered how worried Ji-ryong had been about Peng-hyung’s group when we first met.

“Alright, let’s do that, then.”

“Thank you for allowing us to accompany you, So-ryong.”

Ji-ryong looked genuinely pleased when I agreed.

Just then, I noticed warriors from the Martial Alliance disembarking from a ship behind him, one after another.

‘Oh, right. I need to meet the person in charge.’

“So, who’s responsible for this operation?”

The thought had only just occurred to me when Ji-ryong had distracted me with his rouge-related grievances. But now, I had to speak with the one in charge.

I needed to explain things in detail beyond what was written in my letter, guide them to the mountain stronghold, and discuss what to do with the remaining items inside.

Ji-ryong smiled and answered, “Ah, that would be me.”

“...You?”

I blinked in confusion.

The Martial Alliance had plenty of high-ranking officials, yet Ji-ryong was in charge?

Even with the Blood Cult keeping them occupied, the Martial Alliance still had one strategist and two deputy strategists.

No matter how smart Ji-ryong was, the fact remained that the alliance had three people whose entire job was to strategize. It was surprising that someone without an official position like Ji-ryong had been put in charge.

He must have noticed my confusion because he went on to explain.

“The strategist is currently dealing with an envoy sent by the imperial court, while one deputy strategist is leading a campaign, and the other is overseeing logistics. None of them could leave their posts.”

“Ah... I see.”

“So in situations like this, someone from the Zhuge family, which traditionally handles strategic matters for the Alliance, is assigned to assist. Since I happened to be at headquarters, I took on this task.

It’s just cleanup duty, after all.”

So that’s how Ji-ryong ended up in charge.

Honestly, I was relieved. I’d rather coordinate with Ji-ryong, whom I knew, than deal with an unfamiliar superior.

Still, I was curious about the envoy from the imperial court.

“Oh? Then this works out well.

But wait... You mentioned someone from the imperial court? I thought the government wasn’t supposed to interfere in martial affairs?”

From what Ji-ryong said, it sounded like the troublemaker princess’s lie had been quite effective.

But wasn’t there a law preventing imperial authorities from meddling in the affairs of the martial world?

At my question, Ji-ryong curled his lips into a sly smile.

“The royal court declared the Blood Cult a heretical sect after hearing that a princess was attacked. They banned its worship among commoners, condemning it as a corrupting influence that leads people astray.”

“Oh... That’s quite the loophole.”

The imperial court might not be able to interfere in martial affairs, but religion was another matter entirely.

If they classified the Blood Cult as a religious sect rather than a martial group, the emperor had full authority to suppress it.

Looked like those Blood Cult bastards were about to have a really hard time.

Ji-ryong and I exchanged equally sinister smirks before he gestured toward the ship he had arrived on.

“This conversation is going to take a while. Shall we continue inside? I’d like to hear your account and possibly ask for your help.”

“Understood. Then, if you’ll excuse me.”

With a nod, I followed him onto the ship.

***

Drip.

Upon entering what appeared to be Ji-ryong’s quarters, I was greeted by the scent of tea and an overwhelming stack of documents.

Ji-ryong gestured for me to sit, and Eunbong poured us both a cup of tea.

“Here you go, you two.”

“Thank you, Eunbong.”

I wasn’t much of a tea drinker—preferred cold water, really—but back at the Tang Clan, I had learned proper tea etiquette from Hwa-eun.

As I savored the aroma, Ji-ryong’s voice rang out.

“But to think the Kissing Bugs were that big and dangerous... When we read your letter and examined the preserved specimens you sent, everyone in the Alliance was utterly shocked.”

I had suspected that merely describing them in writing wouldn’t be enough to convince people.

Hearing something a hundred times isn’t as good as seeing it once.

That’s why I had sent them two carefully preserved bedbug specimens as evidence. Judging by their reaction, it had worked like a charm.

The fact that they had rushed to send an investigation team said it all.

“But for So-ryong to have handled everything alone... We were incredibly relieved. Ah, and the Alliance Leader asked me to convey his gratitude.”

“No need for thanks. I just did what had to be done.”

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

I gave an awkward smile at Ji-ryong’s praise, lifting my teacup to my lips before setting it down again.

Flattery was all well and good, but it was time to get down to business.

First on the agenda: the Boheoldan.

“Now that things are wrapping up, have you decided what to do with the large stockpile of Boheoldan left in the stronghold?”

“Yes, the Alliance has agreed to purchase all of it. Given the ongoing battle with the Blood Cult, they were in dire need of Boheoldan, so this was a fortunate find.”

As expected.

I had suggested selling the Boheoldan to the Martial Alliance, figuring they’d pay a premium for it, and sure enough, they jumped at the chance to buy it all.

The idea had come to me because I remembered how much Boheoldan I had to take after getting my blood drained by that Blood Cult elder.

With their war against the Blood Cult still raging, the Alliance could never have too much of it.

‘Huh. Maybe I have a knack for business too?’

Among people who breed exotic creatures, there’s a saying—when someone asks to buy from you, you give them a little extra as a service.

In this case, the Martial Alliance was basically lining up to buy, so I decided to throw in a little goodwill.

“Then you may transport the Boheoldan first, and you can discuss payment directly with my father-in-law, the head of the Tang Clan.”

“Oh? Are you sure about that?”

“Yes. We don’t have space for it on our ships anyway, and the Alliance is in a hurry.”

“Understood. The Alliance Leader will be deeply grateful.”

With that, the largest bulk of supplies was dealt with.

As for the wealth left in the stronghold, I had already given half to Lee Chae.

A third of the village had burned, and many had died, so I saw it as an act of charity.

Of course, I made sure to leave them with a clear warning—nothing in this world is free.

”This isn’t just a gift.”

”T-then what is it?”

”First and foremost, you must never harm people again. If I hear otherwise, you won’t escape the wrath of my creatures. Understood?”

”Y-yes, of course.”

”And I’ve heard that the Three Rivers Alliance picks up all sorts of rumors. Is that true?”

”Yes, So-ryong.”

”Then from now on, I want you to gather a very specific kind of rumor for me.”

”What kind?”

”Rumors about venomous creatures and poisonous insects.”

A little request to fuel my hobby.

With that settled, I had also set aside some private funds for myself.

That left two remaining matters to discuss.

“The stronghold—what’s the plan for it? And what about the remaining Kissing Bugs?”

Leaving the place as it was meant someone else could just move in.

And while the Kissing Bugs would all die out within a year, it wasn’t safe to just leave them be. Someone could wander in and get killed. At the very least, a guard needed to be stationed there.

Ji-ryong smiled.

“I intend to take care of both problems at once.”

“Both at once?”

I tilted my head, wondering what he meant.

Then he said something so absurd that I had to question whether I heard correctly.

“We’ll set fire to the mountain.”

“...What?”

I blinked in shock.

Did he just say they were going to start a wildfire?

Ji-ryong continued, completely unfazed.

“If we burn down the stronghold along with the forest, we won’t have to worry about either the bandits or the Kissing Bugs anymore.”

‘Is this the Central Plains mentality? Just setting the whole mountain on fire?’

The more I thought about it, the more it made sense.

The Zhuge family did have a history of arson, after all.

‘I mean, didn’t they burn half of Red Cliffs? Blood runs true, I suppose.’

As expected, people who have done something before do it best.

Ji-ryong ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) didn’t just throw a fire and call it a day.

Instead, he carefully mapped out sections of the mountain, sent Sword Dragon and the warriors to clear trees and grass along the perimeter to prevent the fire from spreading uncontrollably, and even assigned Gungbong—who was sensitive to wind—to monitor airflow from the mountaintop for several days.

A true professional.

“Only this mountain and its immediate surroundings will be burned,” Ji-ryong explained, pointing at a map of the terrain.

“Based on what So-ryong said, the Kissing Bugs couldn’t have crossed the river. So, we’ve already cut down trees along this waterway and beyond the valley.

The fire will be started at four separate points around the stronghold and meet at the summit, burning itself out naturally.”

‘Arson can be a refined art, huh?’

With the final checks done, I gave a nod.

“Alright. Proceed.”

Ji-ryong turned to Gungbong.

“Signal the start.”

“Got it.”

Gungbong drew back his massive bow and aimed at the sky.

Creaaaak.

Fwooosh!

The signal arrow soared toward the mountain peak.

The moment it exploded in the sky—

Smoke began rising from four directions.

Within half a meal’s time, the entire mountain was ablaze, flames roaring like a giant bonfire.

Even from our ship, we could feel the heat.

As I watched the inferno engulf the stronghold, a voice called out from our vessel.

“Hwayang!?”

I turned to see Hwayang clinging to the railing of the ship’s deck, mouth agape, staring in awe at the burning mountain.

And in that instant, a thought struck me.

‘Wait... Isn’t this the perfect chance for Hwayang to reach its mature form?’

Even after consuming a significant amount of fire recently, Hwayang still hadn’t fully transformed.

But this—this was a wildfire.

If this wasn’t enough to trigger its transformation, I didn’t know what would.

I immediately used my light movement technique to leap over to my ship and approached Hwayang, whose eyes were gleaming with reflections of the blazing fire.

“Hungry?”

Hwayang turned to look at me, then slowly nodded.

Without hesitation, I scooped it up and darted toward the burning mountain.