Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang Novel - Chapter 196

Chapter 196
With the initial discussions concluded, So-ryong did not pause for breath before addressing Ji-ryong, Taeheo, the Kunlun elder, Sister Seol, Hwa-eun, and the Five Dragon Peaks in a self-assured tone. He was synthesizing the available clues to form a picture of the entity they were pursuing.

“Given that the Five Venoms Sect is undoubtedly cultivating some form of spiritual or poisonous beast, our priority must be to determine its precise nature.”

He spoke with the authority of a veteran, which made the Kunlun elder regard him with astonishment. “Oh? Is that something you can truly discern?”

“Indeed. It will not be a flawless assessment, but we have gathered a substantial number of clues.”

“Clues?”
“You claim to possess many clues?”

Taeheo and the Kunlun elder appeared baffled by his assertion. Yet, even without physical evidence of the creature, they had more to go on than they knew. The intelligence collected by the Kunlun sect held key details—likely missed because no one with the right expertise had scrutinized it.

“Naturally. Do we not already know its diet? That fact alone is vital. The disappearances of people and camels confirm it is a predator. It must be sizable enough to consume humans and camels entirely, or a smaller type that hunts in packs. I have serious doubts about the latter scenario.”

From this one aspect of its behavior, he could deduce a great deal.

“I follow your logic about its size, but why dismiss the possibility of a smaller creature?” Taeheo inquired, his head tilted in curiosity.

So-ryong waggled a finger to underscore his point, clearly enjoying the chance to give such a masterful presentation. “An exposition of this quality is a rarity. You will not find insights this valuable in any other place.”

He proceeded with his rationale, “One individual or one camel has been taken each day. If a swarm of smaller creatures were responsible, it would imply they focus on a single target at a time, disregarding all others. But that is not their nature.

With merchants continuously traveling, a horde of small beasts would not strike one target and then simply withdraw. Some would inevitably diverge to assault others. This outcome is inescapable. Such a situation is not plausible.”

The Kunlun elder gave a nod of approval, visibly awed. “Ohh, I see your point. Not even disciplined soldiers storming a fortress could achieve such flawless unity. For simple creatures to manage it…”

A specific term in his remark faintly annoyed So-ryong, but he opted to simply nod for the time being.

Among communal insects, ants excel at maintaining group order. However, even ants and bees, which are highly regimented in their colonies, operate on individual instinct during hunts or combat.

Once an assault begins, they would clash chaotically with everything in their vicinity. They would not isolate one specific target and ignore the rest.

Therefore, if the creature were small and numerous, victims would not vanish quietly in the dark. Instead, they would be set upon by a riotous mob of attackers.

This made it evident—the creature was large. In all likelihood, it was a solitary one.

“Additionally, the fact that people and camels have vanished without any sign during the night indicates it is venomous. It must possess a toxin powerful enough to kill immediately or paralyze its prey before any response is possible. Otherwise, it is impossible that no one would have detected anything.”

“So it is a poisonous being? That tracks. For it to kill and remove a victim without any commotion, a potent venom is a necessity.”

“Precisely. Furthermore, a creature’s venom capacity usually increases with its size. This is a primary reason I lean toward a large specimen over a multitude of smaller ones.”

From these few specifics, two critical conclusions were drawn:
The creature was large.
The creature was venomous.

Sister Seol, who had been observing silently, finally spoke. “A large, venomous creature?”
“Correct.”
“Then do you know its identity?”
“Not yet… We must review further intelligence.”
“Further intelligence?”

While these deductions formed a solid base, they were insufficient to identify the creature exactly.

The subsequent step was to cross-reference more data.
This involved studying the creature’s environment and habits.

The immediate task was to chart the points where the people and camels had disappeared.

Kunlun had already performed a significant amount of research, though it was not methodically arranged. Most data was collected informally through firsthand accounts, never assembled into a unified report.

So-ryong’s first objective was to transfer all known disappearance sites onto a map.

This would reveal if the suspected Five Venoms Sect beast had a defined territory or was a nomadic hunter.

“Elder Ji-ryong and Taoist Taeheo, might I request your aid?”
“Without a doubt. We will assist with anything you need.”
“Of course, young warrior.”

They both agreed, apparently satisfied with So-ryong’s analysis. He turned to Ji-ryong with his request.
“Ji-ryong, would you retrieve a map of Qinghai Province?”
“Ah, certainly.”

They illuminated the shadowy room with multiple lanterns, and Ji-ryong unfurled a sizable map on the table. A slender sheet of paper was laid over it to mark important spots without defacing the original.

“The first incident, where the western merchant lost a person and a camel, was a day’s travel from Deokryeom-ha. It should be approximately here. Now, using what Kunlun has learned, could you indicate every other location where similar vanishings have happened?”

“Hmm, for a task such as this, Taeheo is better qualified than I.”
“I will aid you, young warrior.”

The Kunlun elder moved aside, letting Taeheo take the lead. He selected a brush and started marking the map with meticulous accuracy.

“This event took place roughly half a day’s journey north of here… The subsequent one would be near this area.”
“If that is accurate, Taeheo, this point would be a full day’s travel. Splitting the difference, this should be the correct position.”
“Understood.”

Taeheo, Ji-ryong’s associate, possessed a remarkable memory.

As he worked, he recollected tales from his inquiries and started plotting exact points.
Ji-ryong, at his side, aided in resolving any ambiguities, preserving the information’s precision.

“Before the desert nomads get here, this is the extent of our research.”

When Taeheo withdrew, So-ryong scrutinized the finished map.
Something was immediately apparent.

All the marked sites were grouped in Qinghai’s northwestern sector.
“The vanishings appear focused in the northwest?”
“Oh, there is a cause for that.”

Taeheo nodded, took up the brush again, and drew two lengthy lines across the map, dividing Qinghai’s northern and central regions.

At first, it seemed he was indicating mountain ranges, and his clarification confirmed it.
“The northern area is framed by high mountains, and a separate range cuts through the center of Qinghai Province. That is probably why all these incidents are concentrated in the northwest.”

The bizarre events were all occurring within the desert, situated between the two mountain chains. So-ryong indicated a specific map location.
“What of this area? Is there anything there?”
“Ah… That is merely desert. It is likely just the heart of the desert, nothing more,” Taeheo answered.
“I see.”

The northwest was dotted with numerous marks, yet one place was entirely empty—a circular area ringed by indicators, like a vacant zone. So-ryong accepted the explanation.

While deserts host diverse life, creatures are not found in the very center but in zones where some moisture and sustenance are available.

“Have you deduced something?” the Kunlun elder urged.

He could not provide an instant answer.

By evaluating the dot placement, one thing became obvious: the creature’s distribution implied it was not an animal with a fixed territory. It seemed more like a roaming hunter.

The points were scattered across a wide expanse, making a stable home base improbable. However, the Five Venoms Sect’s involvement added complexity. If they were rearing or controlling the creature, it could not be dismissed as a simple nomadic beast.

So-ryong rethought his strategy.
‘It appears to be a nomadic being without a set territory… No, I should base my analysis on the Five Venoms Sect’s past actions.’

Everything they had previously cultivated—armies of ants, bloodsucking bedbugs, and the fearsome strange mantis—hinted that the creature was most probably an artificially augmented specimen.

An enlarged variant of a known species.
That was their specialty.

The Five Venoms Sect would not bother with spiritual beasts or rare creatures possessing innate powers. They were renowned for taking ordinary beings and magnifying their deadliness.

And crucially, given the creature’s substantial food consumption, a large, natural beast seemed the most logical assumption.

Putting aside the question of territory, So-ryong concentrated on identifying which desert-dwelling venomous creature could kill a person in one strike.

He eliminated lizards.
If it were a lizard, Kunlun would have discovered tracks. Even in the desert, footprints would have been found in their search.

Kunlun’s failure to find such signs suggested the creature did not move in a manner that left standard footprints.

This indicated something that left only slight impressions or trails—a spider or a type of solifuge.

‘If it is a venomous being in that category…’

Two especially dangerous species from his knowledge surfaced: a highly toxic desert spider and a lethal solifuge.

However, one had to be discarded.
It was not indigenous to this area.

He promptly dismissed the Six-Eyed Sand Spider.
That spider was an ambush expert, concealing itself in the sand to strike from beneath. It was native to African deserts, flourishing in sand dunes.

Despite its modest size—only five centimeters—it wielded a powerful necrotic venom that could be fatal without prompt treatment.

But while foreign insects had occasionally appeared in unlikely places, that was probably not the case here. A much more likely candidate existed.

And that was the Deathstalker.
The notorious scorpion, frequently dubbed the “Death Chaser.”

Deathstalkers belong to the Leiurus genus and are known to be common throughout Central Asia, including zones near Qinghai.

While a standard Deathstalker’s venom is not invariably deadly, it causes agonizing pain and can, in uncommon instances, be lethal.

But that was at a small size.
If the Five Venoms Sect had been nurturing one to an abnormal scale, its venom would have greatly intensified, transforming it into a being able to kill with one sting.

‘A scorpion… This might be more straightforward to resolve than I anticipated.’

Having reached a decision, So-ryong looked around at the others and stated.
“Hmm… From all we have compiled, I conclude we are facing a giant ironclad scorpion.”
“Ironclad!?”
“Ironclad… you mean?”
“You are saying it is a scorpion, young warrior?”

The Deathstalker is nocturnal, digs underground to avoid the desert heat, and has extremely potent venom.

“Yes. An ironclad scorpion can excavate burrows for concealment and easily dig into the sand, making it perfectly suited to desert existence. Considering the Five Venoms Sect’s history, I suspect they have been intentionally breeding it to a colossal size. While spiritual beasts do not always need regular sustenance, this creature’s high consumption rate indicates it is a biological entity, not a spiritual beast.”

Both Hwa-eun and Sister Seol nodded.
Having faced the Five Venoms Sect many times before, his theory seemed entirely logical to them.

“So-ryong’s logic appears sound,” Hwa-eun concurred.
“It seems plausible… But if it hides underground, will it not be difficult to locate?” Sister Seol asked.

It was a sensible question.
If the scorpion stayed concealed under the sand, pursuing it would be problematic.

But fortunately, they had specialists in this exact field.
So-ryong grinned as he stroked the heads of Bini and Cho, who had been napping with their heads on his legs.

“There is no cause for concern. We have exceptionally skilled experts in tracking ironclad scorpions.”
“Cho and Bini?”
“Those two?”

The two centipedes, newly awakened, wiggled their antennae in bewilderment, completely oblivious to the conversation.

But regardless of their awareness, they were, in fact, the ideal experts for this mission.

Scorpions contain a unique fluorescent material in their exoskeletons, causing them to glow under ultraviolet light. Invisible to humans, this is something centipedes are peculiarly equipped to sense.

Centipedes have specialized antennae that allow them to detect slight variations in light wavelengths, meaning they can readily identify scorpions even in utter darkness.

“Yes. Scorpions give off a faint blue luminescence that human eyes cannot perceive. But these two can see it without any issue.”

Tomorrow night, they would venture out with torches.
And with Bini and Cho’s assistance, they would pursue the Five Venoms Sect’s monstrous scorpion.