Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang

At my words, declaring that I couldn’t simply overlook this situation, all eyes turned toward me.

Clenching my fists with determination, I looked around at everyone before raising my voice so that all could hear.

“The long-time enemies of our clans are scheming in secret, and we cannot just return to Sichuan as if nothing is happening! Sister Seol! Hwa-eun! Let’s go to Qinghai together!

As direct descendants of our families, how can we leave such an important matter in the hands of subordinates while we step aside?

If we were far away or unaware, that would be one thing. But this is clearly an opportunity given to us to lead by example!”

At my sudden outburst, both Sister Seol and Hwa-eun, caught off guard by the attention now on them, stammered awkwardly.

“Huh? O-Oh, y-yes, of course, that’s right.”

“Y-Yes, So-ryong.”

‘Did I startle them too much?’

It seemed they weren’t used to seeing me so fired up, leaving Sister Seol particularly flustered.

But sometimes, even I had to show a heroic side.

How could I, a Beast Palace heir, as well as the son-in-law of the Tang Clan, ignore a situation that might endanger both of our factions?

Of course, my curiosity about the house-sized venomous creature played a small role in my decision.

But that was just a tiny part of the real purpose. Only about... 0.1%.

‘At least it’s not 99.9% of the reason.’

As I clenched my fists with unwavering resolve, the warriors of Beast Palace and the members of the Martial Alliance erupted into cheers, admiration shining in their eyes.

“Ooooh! To think Lord So-ryong himself would join us on this journey—we are reassured beyond words!”

“As expected, a man who truly belongs in the underground halls of Beast Palace!”

“Ooooh, with Lord So-ryong’s ties to our clan, neither fate nor bloodline can be hidden!”

“We are grateful for the Tang Clan’s support as well!”

But as the crowd’s excitement grew, I suddenly heard whispers slide into my ears.

[Silly little brother, you’re not just doing this because of the giant venomous creature, right?]

[So-ryong, you’re not doing this just because of the giant venomous creature, are you?]

Goosebumps.

While I had been basking in the crowd’s enthusiasm, their direct sound transmissions caught me completely off guard.

My fists were still clenched in triumph when I flinched, turning toward Sister Seol and Hwa-eun with wide eyes.

Somehow, even though I had successfully convinced everyone else, they had seen right through me.

‘W-Where did I slip up?’

I quickly masked my expression and turned my head away.

I could still feel their skeptical gazes drilling into the back of my head, but I chose to act shamelessly.

[Surely, you wouldn’t doubt my unwavering loyalty to my clan and my wife’s family?]

Trying to regain control, I moved between them and whispered with conviction.

But without even a moment of hesitation, they both nodded.

[Yes.]

[Of course.]

No hesitation at all.

I was completely exposed.

‘Come on! It’s just a little curiosity! What’s the big deal...’

But I couldn’t deny it.

Ever since I heard the words house-sized venomous creature, my hands had been trembling in excitement.

It was the same feeling I had in my past life when some cocky elementary school kid challenged me at an arcade fighting game—pure, adrenaline-fueled anticipation.

‘Ah... wait... maybe that’s what gave me away?’

I quickly hid my trembling hands behind my back.

Hwa-eun and Sister Seol sighed in unison, making it clear they had already given up on me.

At the very least, they were kind enough to preserve my dignity in front of everyone.

But seriously, it wasn’t like I was gambling, or a gaming addict, or a drunkard.

I just wanted to raise a few venomous creatures!

Why did it feel like I was getting scolded for having a hobby?

Was this what middle-aged men in my past life felt like when they got caught playing games after work?

***

Despite the fact that my real motives were unfortunately exposed to those two, our journey to Qinghai was not canceled.

In fact, the energy of the group only escalated further.

The Five Dragons of Wu Mountain even expressed their eagerness to join.

“So-ryong! We’re coming with you. This might be the perfect chance to settle some scores from our last encounter in the Great Moon Nation!”

“So-ryong, you wouldn’t leave us behind, right? That damn Ghost Woman—next time I see her, I swear I’ll land a solid strike on her!”

“She dared to leave an eternal wound on our Seon-hwa’s body!”

“Yang Seong-hoo...”

“Seon-hwa...”

...Honestly, I had no idea how they managed to tie every situation back to their eternal grudges like this.

Somehow, they linked personal vendettas to random coincidences, dragging everything into their revenge narratives.

The fact that the Ghost Woman had wronged them in the past—and that the Five Venoms Clan was involved in this matter—was reason enough for Gu-seong, Seon-hwa, and Yang Seong-hoo to decide to follow us.

Originally, the plan had been simple.

After soaking in the hot springs for recovery, they were supposed to return to Sichuan, where Ji-ryong would receive further treatment for mercury poisoning from Mandok Shingun, while the rest would go their separate ways.

But once they heard that the Five Venoms Clan was connected to our mission, they all insisted on coming along.

There was a saying: A friend’s enemy is my enemy.

‘Martial artists really have the strangest sense of loyalty sometimes...’

“We are bound by friendship. The enemy of one of us is the enemy of all of us. Naturally, we must go!”

“Of course! We weren’t able to help last time, but this time will be different.”

“Qinghai, huh? This should be interesting.”

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

For the Five Dragons of Wu Mountain, who valued honor and righteousness above all, avenging a friend’s enemy was an obligation they couldn’t ignore.

And so, with the Beast Palace heir, the Tang Clan heir, and the elite disciples of the Martial World, our expedition had transformed from a simple scouting mission into an all-star war party.

The warriors’ spirits soared to an all-time high.

What was once a covert reconnaissance {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} mission had suddenly turned into an elite joint operation, with the heirs of three major factions leading the charge.

“WOOOOOO! LONG LIVE BEAST PALACE! LONG LIVE THE TANG CLAN! LONG LIVE THE MARTIAL ALLIANCE!”

“PREPARE YOURSELVES, FIVE VENOMS CLAN! YOU WON’T ESCAPE US THIS TIME!”

“With the Five Dragons of Wu Mountain, the heirs of the Tang Clan and Beast Palace—who in the world could stop us?!”

And so, our journey to Qinghai was decided.

Before departing, I took the opportunity to meet with the leader of the Eagle Claw Squad and the other commanders from Beast Palace and the Martial Alliance.

After all, it was important to gather as much information as possible about our destination.

Or rather, about the venomous creatures we might encounter.

‘Could it be? Qinghai is known for its salt lakes and unique environment. There have to be some fascinating venomous creatures there, right?’

On one side of the village stood a makeshift bamboo shelter, its roof covered with banana leaves just enough to block the dew.

As I approached, I saw the Eagle Claw Squad’s captain resting on a reed mat, his body stretched out in relaxation.

The moment he noticed me, he quickly sat up.

“Lord So-ryong, you’ve arrived?”

“Oh, please, relax.”

The nearby warriors also began to rise, but I gestured for them to remain seated before taking my own seat.

Then, he asked,

“So, is there something you wished to discuss?”

Of course, I had come for a reason, so I nodded with a warm, almost benevolent smile.

“Yes. I’d like to hear more details about this operation involving the Five Venoms Clan and the Blood Cult.”

At my request, the Eagle Claw Squad’s captain gave me an impressed look before scanning the surroundings.

Lowering his voice slightly, he replied,

“Ah, as expected of you, Lord So-ryong... You truly take things seriously...”

“Yes.”

“To be this thorough even before we depart... But, what exactly are you curious about?”

At his question, I unleashed the torrent of questions that had been swirling in my head.

‘First of all, what kind of venomous creatures are involved?’

‘When they say house-sized, are we talking the size of a regular house? A monastery? Or maybe a palace hall? And if it’s a palace hall, then how many stories tall are we talking?’

‘And naturally, when discussing size, we need to consider the species...’

As my endless questions poured out, the Eagle Claw Squad’s captain blinked in stunned silence.

At that exact moment, Hyang and Hongdan, who had been resting inside my robes, crawled out and perched on my shoulders, chattering away.

— Tsrrrt.

— Kii!

Hyang scurried up to the top of my head before climbing back down, seemingly explaining something to Hongdan.

A moment later, Hongdan nodded as if she understood.

— Tsrrr. Tsrrt!

— Kii-kii!

I had worried that Hyang, who sometimes got jealous when I showed affection to others, might bully Hongdan.

But strangely enough, the two got along well.

Maybe it was because Hongdan was small and similar in size, or maybe because they were both arthropods.

Even when they slept, they stuck close together, and now, Hyang was actively teaching her things.

Under normal circumstances, I would have praised them for their affectionate bond.

But now was not the time.

This was an important meeting, so I tapped them lightly on the heads.

“Dad is talking to this gentleman right now. Could you two be quiet for a moment?”

— Tsrrt?

— Kii?

As they fell silent, I noticed that the Eagle Claw Squad’s captain was staring at me.

His gaze... felt eerily familiar.

It was the same skeptical look I had seen many times from Sister Seol and Hwa-eun.

I quickly added an explanation before he could get the wrong idea.

“I-I’m not sure if you’ve heard, but back in Dali, I had a close call with a Five Venoms Clan assassin.

That’s why I need to know exactly what we’re dealing with. If I understand the nature of these venomous creatures, I can prepare countermeasures in advance.

Cough. Absolutely no other reason.”

At my words, the Eagle Claw Squad’s captain suddenly nodded in admiration, his eyes gleaming.

“Ah, as expected! As expected! What we learned from the captured man was that the Five Venoms Clan is raising something enormous in the Padan-Gilin Desert.”

“That’s why we need to confirm what it is—and if it’s dangerous, we plan to seek Kunlun’s assistance to eliminate it.”

Now, it all made sense.

They had a large number of personnel to assist the village, but not enough for a full-scale expedition.

It seemed they had planned to recruit reinforcements on-site before heading into the desert.

The idea that the Five Venoms Clan was raising something enormous in the desert made my jaw drop slightly.

Desert creatures were always more unique than their forest counterparts.

And this one was house-sized?

Not only that, but it was a desert-adapted venomous creature?

Whatever it was, it had to be incredibly powerful.

‘What kind of desert creature could grow that big? A giant desert lizard? A massive snake? Could it be an insect?’

And more importantly...

‘Wait a minute. Why does the Padan-Gilin Desert sound so familiar?’

A faint memory surfaced.

I quickly turned back to the Eagle Claw Squad’s captain and asked,

“Wait. Did you say Padan-Gilin Desert?”

“Yes, Lord So-ryong.”

The Five Venoms Clan was raising something in Qinghai.

And their location was the Padan-Gilin Desert.

I dug through my memories.

There was a reason this place stood out to me.

I had heard about it before—from one of the three distinguished guests who had once visited the Tang Clan.

Specifically, from the sect leader of the Cheongseong Sect.

Back then, he had mentioned something about a request from Kunlun.

Kunlun had asked them to send an expert tracker to the Padan-Gilin Desert.

He had said:

“Kunlun asked for assistance in tracking something in the Padan-Gilin Desert.

Merchants and their camels have been vanishing there at night.

People disappearing in the desert is nothing new... but lately, the number of cases has skyrocketed.

Since Kunlun is based in Qinghai, they couldn’t ignore the problem anymore.

Unfortunately, tracking in the shifting sands is a difficult task, even for our Cheongseong Sect.”

So...

People had been disappearing.

Kunlun had gotten involved.

And now, we learn that the Five Venoms Clan is raising something there?

This was suspicious.

Very suspicious.

A venomous creature of enormous size would require a huge amount of food.

And that meant regular food sources wouldn’t be enough.

‘Camels and people disappearing... Could that be its food source?’

The Five Venoms Clan had never hesitated to sacrifice human lives.

The location... the timing... the circumstances...

Everything fit together too perfectly.