Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang Novel - Chapter 156

Chapter 156
Understanding Lee Tae’s implication, my expression darkened. The river bandits, already nervous from my presence, grew even more fearful.
The deceased had been perfectly healthy the day before, but was now discovered as a desiccated husk.
This was clearly no ordinary death.
The profoundly unnatural state of the body made my creatures the immediate suspects in their view.
A human body withering in such a manner isn’t a natural occurrence; it is the sort of deed attributed to monstrous entities, so it was inevitable that their dread would fixate on my creatures.
And since I was the one who controlled these beings, their fear naturally extended to me as well.
To them, I must have appeared like a demonic summoner commanding actual fiends.
‘This is troublesome… and far too convenient. I need to correct this misconception.’
I had been intentionally propagating the notion that my creatures consumed people to maintain control over the river bandits.
Yet, of all possible times, such an incident had to occur now.
With the matter of the shipwright still unsettled, this misunderstanding posed a significant complication.
Just as I opened my mouth to clarify, the bandits’ tension erupted into pure panic at a sound from behind me.
— Tsrrr? 『Dad?』
I had promised Bini we would venture out after the fog lifted, but having rushed out without a word, it had followed me.
The instant Bini’s call cut through the mist, the river bandits recoiled in horror.
“G-Gods above!”
“Aghh!”
The sight of a seven-meter-long black centipede emerging from the fog was utterly petrifying.
This was especially true since I had already terrified them thoroughly the previous day, and now they were convinced my creatures had committed murder.
Some of the bandits stumbled and fell onto their backs in their frantic retreat.
To my ears, Bini’s voice was small and endearing, but to them?
It was the stuff of pure nightmares.
I had to move fast before the situation deteriorated beyond repair.
I summoned Hwa-eun and quickly conferred with her.
If we didn’t resolve this misunderstanding now, it might become permanent.
“They seem to believe our creatures are the reason that corpse ended up in… that condition. We must make things clear.”
“Our creatures!?”
Hwa-eun looked utterly bewildered.
She clutched Bini and scowled.
“How could they possibly think that? Bini and the others are so little, so kind and gentle…”
In all honesty, from our point of view, Bini and Cho still appeared small and cute.
But without the lens of affection, they were seven-meter-long monstrosities.
So I simply offered her an uncomfortable grin and turned back to Lee Tae, patting Bini’s head as I spoke.
“It appears they are under the impression my creatures did this. That is not what happened.”
“This is a mistake?”
“Our creatures do not eat people.”
“…What!?”
Lee Tae’s reaction was almost comical.
His face was a portrait of utter disbelief.
After all, just the day before, I had explicitly stated they could be used as creature feed.
“But—but yesterday, you said outright you would feed us to them—”
“That was only to intimidate you. These creatures are spirit beasts. They do not consume anything.”
Hearing my words, Lee Tae and the bandits traded hesitant, uncertain looks.
They were weighing whether to trust me.
Seeing their doubt, I opted for a dose of cold, hard reason.
It was better to be direct than to allow the misunderstanding to grow.
“You are not obligated to believe me. But consider this: if my creatures truly ate people, why would I bother with an explanation?”
If Cho, Bini, or Yo-hwa were actually man-eaters, what could Lee Tae or his bandits possibly do to prevent it?
Nothing.
If my creatures were genuine predators, the bandits would be utterly powerless to resist.
They would simply remain here and be consumed one after another.
The moment I made that point, Lee Tae visibly shuddered and gave a hesitant nod.
“Y-yes… If spirit beasts were to run amok, nobody could halt them. There would also be no reason to act covertly…”
The bandits shivered, vividly recalling the previous night.
Then one of them spoke up.
“B-but then… How did Beom-gyu die?”
As if on cue, footsteps approached from behind.
Through the thinning mist, Seol appeared and provided the answer.
“That is precisely what we intend to discover.”
***

With Seol’s assistance, we resolved to inspect the body first.
She noted that wild animals always leave evidence on a corpse.
It was logical—tracking predators by their kills was an art honed in the Beast Palace, and Seol seemed self-assured in her skills.
I was initially skeptical, but observing her methodical work swiftly erased my doubts.
She examined the body with an unexpected degree of expertise, checking the eyes, mouth, and skin—procedures that seemed more suited to a modern forensic expert than someone from this time.
Without gloves, she used chopsticks to maneuver the body, meticulously hunting for any clues.
With aid from the river bandits, she scrutinized every part before finally shaking her head in confusion.
“This isn’t truly a mummy.”
“What?”
Hwa-eun blinked in surprise at Seol’s declaration.
Seol nodded.
“Mummies are entirely dehydrated corpses, but this one is different. All of its blood has been removed. That is why it appears shrunken and pale, yet the skin itself is not completely dry.”
“All its blood is gone?”
I had presumed the body was merely dried out, but Seol’s explanation clarified it was not.
She continued, nodding once more.
“Correct. Normally, after death, rigor mortis occurs, and the blood pools, creating lividity marks. This body shows none of that.”
“Wait… Are you saying the blood was extracted before lividity could begin?”
“Exactly. Blood begins to settle about an hour after death, but this corpse displays no signs whatsoever. This means all the blood was taken either while the victim was still alive or within an hour of death.”
“…Then could it be the work of the Blood Cult?”
The moment I named the Blood Cult, the air became strained.
If I was correct, it meant a follower of the Blood Cult could be concealed within this village.
Seol frowned.
“Well… the Blood Cult does work with blood, but—”
“H-hold on! The Blood Cult?! Those fiends?!”
One of the bandits went pale at their mention.
But Seol was quick to shake her head.
“The Blood Cult slashes their victims first and then drains the blood through the wounds, much like mosquitoes. But this body has no wounds whatsoever.”
I recalled the Blood Cult elders I had faced previously.
Seol was right. They always began by cutting their victims open.
This body lacked any such injuries.
“So, it is not the Blood Cult…”
That was a minor relief.
Still, if it wasn’t them, what else could it be?
“Did you find anything else?” I asked.
Seol shook her head.
“Well, if the blood were present, I might have deduced something. But with it entirely gone, there is little else I can tell.”
It was disappointing, but it meant only one thing—we had to examine where it happened.
A body alone could only reveal so much.
“The victim’s home. We should look there. There might be evidence remaining.”
“Yes, a sound plan.”
“So-ryong, I will remain here to see if any poison residue is left in the body. It is strange that someone died inside the village without anyone noticing.”
“Very well, Hwa-eun.”

Leaving Hwa-eun to investigate for poison, I accompanied Lee Tae into the village.
As we walked, I could feel the anxious gazes of the villagers.
Their hushed talks trailed us.
They were afraid of us.
Soon, we reached a small hut nestled at the mountain’s foot.
The roof was thatched with reeds, and the walls were woven from bamboo slats—a humble but solid dwelling.
“This is the place, So-ryong.”
Inside, a bamboo bed was pushed against the far wall.
The room was in disarray, likely from people rummaging through it after the victim’s death.
“My men said he was lying there, appearing as though he had simply gone to sleep… except, well… deceased.”
I stepped closer and immediately detected a faint aroma of coriander.
It wasn’t uncommon for villages in this region to use coriander to counteract the odor of fish.
But something about it felt strange.
“Lying on the bed… completely motionless?”
“Yes. His body was already rigid.”
Aside from a tattered blanket, there were no indications of a fight.
Lee Tae, Seol, and I meticulously inspected the doors, windows, and all points of entry for signs of breaking and entering, but we discovered nothing.
“No real leads here.”
“Indeed…”
We went back to the ship, hoping Hwa-eun had uncovered something.
She had.
“There is paralytic venom in the body. I require more time to identify its origin, however. Perhaps by tomorrow.”
I frowned.
“…No one else will die before then, I hope?”
“D-don’t say such things, Seol! That would be awful!”
But inwardly, I had a sense of foreboding.
And I was correct.
At dawn, a frantic bandit came sprinting to us.
“S-So-ryong! Another body! Two people are dead this time!”
“Two?!”
The mystery was deepening.
***

Seol and I hurried to the new scene.
It was a different hut close to the first victim’s home.
Inside, we discovered a young couple, lying on their bed—lifeless.
They had not put up a struggle.
They were still embracing, as if they had peacefully fallen asleep.
“No one has touched them, correct?”
“No, Lady Seol.”
Seol moved forward quickly, examining the bodies.
Her face grew solemn.
“Same as the last one. No blood.”
Another corpse drained of blood.
But then—Seol frowned.
“What is this?”
She reached toward the blanket, running her fingers over the fabric.
Then, she brought her hand to her nose.
“Something is damp.”
“Damp?”
“It isn’t urine, is it?”
“No, it does not smell of that. It has a slight… fishy odor.”
Something about that detail tugged at my mind.
Then—a breeze drifted through the open window.
And that distinct coriander scent permeated the room.
That scent.
It had been present everywhere.
‘Wait… Why didn’t I recognize it earlier?’
Despite hours of investigation, we had found nothing.
The villagers were becoming agitated.
Even after we explained the truth, some still refused to believe us.
By the afternoon, Hwa-eun verified that she had found paralytic venom in the victims.
But she could not determine what kind of creature was responsible.
And that night—
As Seol and I sat together, speculating on what might happen next, Lee Tae came aboard our ship.
He was carrying a dish of fish.
“It is not much, but…”
“You claimed food was scarce. Why bring this?”
“We merely wished to express our thanks. You are genuinely attempting to aid us.”
“…The patrols. You instructed your men to guard the village tonight, yes?”
“Yes. I divided them into three pairs, each taking a watch.”
It was a freshwater fish dish, lightly fried and simmered in soy sauce.
I had already eaten my evening meal, but since his intentions were good, I tried a bite.
And instantly regretted it.
“…Ugh.”
The muddy flavor of the freshwater fish struck me forcefully.
I nearly choked.
Lee Tae was alarmed.
“O-oh! I forgot, outsiders struggle with the fishy smell! I will prepare something else—”
“No, it is alright… It is merely lacking something.”
“Lacking what?”
“Coriander.”
Lee Tae gave me a puzzled look.
“We do not use that here.”
“…You do not?”
“No. We have not had coriander in years.”
The instant he said it, everything fell into place.
The scent of coriander.
The damp spot on the blanket.
The paralytic venom.
My knowledge of insects surged to the forefront.
‘Why didn’t I realize this earlier?!’
“Bini!”
— Tsrrr?
Bini appeared from the cabin.
I seized a lantern and dashed toward the first victim’s house.
Raising the light, I scanned the walls.
And there it was.
Something dark and slick, trickling down the walls.
Then—
—Plop. Plop. Plop.
Giant bedbugs began to fall from the ceiling like rain.
Bini twisted around me, cutting them to pieces.
The killer had been here the entire time.
Giant blood-draining bedbugs.