Chapter 6

Faber in the Fourth Chapter of the Sichuan Tang Family - Episode 7 (6/187)

Reverse Interview 2

After the old man from Chelsan recovered, it had been four days.

We continued to gather information in the surrounding villages, starting from the abandoned duct.

It was all to find the hiding place of Xueshou Luocha (Blood-Handed Rakshasa) Zhuo Yunyang.

The old man from Chelsan explained that to master Xueshuduozhua (Blood-Water Poison Claw), one needed human blood and bone marrow, so if we could confirm any missing persons in the nearby villages, we could quickly pinpoint the area around his hideout.

My efforts came next.

"Is that so?"

"Yes, sir. While a few people go missing in the jungle each year, there have never been periodic or large-scale disappearances. Missing persons are usually found soon if there's nothing special about them."

"Thank you, Village Chief."

"Not at all. It's an honor to help the head of the famous Sichuan Tang Family."

"Then, let's be on our way."

The last village within a day's journey from the abandoned duct.

After visiting the new village, we returned from the village chief with no significant leads.

We were looking for information about large-scale disappearances, but the same answer repeated in every village we visited: people occasionally go missing in the dense jungle, but there are no large-scale disappearances.

"Nothing unusual in this village either?"

"It's strange, young sir. I thought he would be nearby since he revealed himself to us, but..."

If the guy had shown himself after discovering the Tang Family's warriors, his base should be near our abandoned house. We searched all the villages within a day's journey from our abandoned house, but found no trace of him.

We needed at least someone who had seen him, but no such luck.

'Strange, isn't it?'

I agreed with the old man from Chelsan, so I joined his search, but finding no trace was indeed strange.

That's why, as we left the last village, I recalled what the guy had said when he appeared.

People often inadvertently reveal information about themselves without realizing it.

'What did that guy say... Ah!'

Focusing my thoughts, I remembered his first words.

Holding my neck, he had said, "I came when I heard the Tang Family's people entered Hainan Island, only to find the son of the Wannengxinjun (Universal Poison Lord) injured and alone."

Recalling his words, I quickly asked the old man from Chelsan.

"Ah! Sir, do you remember what he said when he appeared?"

"What he said when he appeared? I don't remember well, but do you?"

'Ah, he was distracted when he was pinned to the ground.'

Everyone has a dark past, and it's a secret that needs to be hidden.

If he didn't remember, there was no need to remind him, so I nodded and replied.

"Ah... You don't remember? I just recalled something. He said, 'I came when I heard the Tang Family's people entered Hainan Island...'"

"What about it?"

The old man from Chelsan, who had never read a detective novel, couldn't catch on.

I calmed my frustration and answered.

"Listen carefully. He said, 'I came when I heard the Tang Family's people entered Hainan Island,' right?"

"Yes?"

"That means he heard from someone that the Tang Family's people entered Hainan Island. If we check where the Tang Family passed through, we might find the person who told him about their arrival, right? We can verify this with something like a facial recognition system or by describing his appearance and asking if anyone has seen him."

"Ah! I see! Young sir, I thought you only knew about poisons, but you're also wise in many other ways! How did you figure that out? You seem like someone from the Zhuge family."

'If you go to escape rooms often and play a lot of mystery games with other YouTubers, you'll get good at it.'

Thus, the investigation began again.

Fortunately, the Tang Family people headed straight to a village of herbalists in the north after arriving in Hainan, and their next destination was the abandoned house where I was, so we could hear about the guy from the port.

"Ah! You mean the one with the red hands?"

"Ah! Yes! Do you know him?"

"Yes. He appears once a month to buy grain. He lives inland, and it takes him three days to get here. When he comes, he buys enough for a month and ten days."

"Ah! Thank you."

The valuable information we obtained from the grain store.

The guy bought rice once a month from the rice shop.

"Then, should we check the villages within a three-day journey?"

Since he had hinted at where he lived, we thought checking the villages within a three-day journey from the port would be enough, but the old man from Chelsan shook his head.

"No. After hearing your story, I thought about it carefully, and it's not that simple."

"Not that simple?"

The old man's words seemed to be a slight insult.

I deducted a point from his reverse interview score and asked again.

'Can you insult employees and still be a good person? Interview -10 points.'

"Then, what do you think?"

"He's a martial artist, so it should be three days by light body technique, not walking. He buys enough grain for a month and ten days, but considering the round trip and his martial arts level, it's more likely to be a week's journey. That's the distance, for sure."

"Ah, that makes sense..."

The thrill of riding on the old man's back while he used his light body technique came to mind.

He could cover several meters with each step.

'His light body technique was impressive. That's +10 points for the interview.'

"Also, I think he probably doesn't have any disciples."

"Ah, that's right. He only buys enough grain for a month and ten days."

"Exactly."

The old man from Chelsan, who could deduce ten things from one, would have been a master of escape rooms in a past life.

***

"It's strange."

Ten days later, in the west of Hainan Island.

After visiting a village, the old man from Chelsan, who had heard the same story as before, scratched his chin in confusion.

Hainan Island is as large as Gyeonggi and Chungcheong Provinces combined.

Thus, with the old man and his three warriors, it was impossible to cover the entire area, so pinpointing the location was crucial. However, we found no trace of the guy in the area we had pinpointed.

"If it's a week's journey, it should be in the west, but it's strange..."

"Head, since the guy's martial arts are similar to the Great Ancestor, the Wannengxinjun, should we search the western coast more thoroughly?"

"No. Even if he did, he wouldn't have used his full strength while buying rice. It must be around here, right?"

A week's journey from the port meant the east and south were the sea, and the north was the port.

Thus, the only remaining direction was the west.

We were almost certain, but there were no missing persons here either.

As we were all pondering at the village entrance, the village chief ran out, panting.

"Huff, huff! Oh, you're here! Sir!"

"Hmm? Why so rushed? Did you think of something?"

The village chief nodded at the old man's question.

After catching his breath, he answered in a strained voice.

"Please, visit the Li ethnic village. Huff, huff... I forgot, but I remember hearing that there was some kind of epidemic in the coastal Li village..."

"Epidemic? Li ethnic group?"

An epidemic could be what we were looking for.

The old man from Chelsan looked at me, asking what the Li ethnic group was.

Since he didn't know much about Hainan, I explained step by step.

"Besides the Han people, there are two other ethnic groups in Hainan, the Li and the Li ethnic groups. The Li are not friendly towards the Han, but the Li, while having different tendencies in each village, are generally friendly towards the Han."

The Li and Li ethnic groups, minorities in Hainan.

Unlike the Li, who don't even let you enter their village, the Li are quite friendly towards the Han and welcome guests with food.

I had a good impression of them because I had received help from the Li when I lost my way in the jungle while catching snakes.

"Is that so? Then, we should visit. Thank you, Village Chief. By the way, do you know where the village with the epidemic is?"

"Yes, it's a day's journey northwest from here."

"Thank you!"

Riding on the old man's back for half a day, we cut through the jungle and arrived at the coast. As we moved along the coastline, we saw smoke rising in the distance.

On the hillside near the coast, between the jungle, roofs sprouted like mushrooms.

"It must be there!"

"The Li people will welcome you at the village entrance."

"I see. We need to find the entrance."

Searching the coast below the hill, we found what looked like the village entrance, a wooden gate. As we approached, people started to gather at the entrance.

People in black clothes embroidered with red thread, with metal decorations dangling from their chests, and black high socks, wearing short skirts, both men and women, were the Li people.

"Why are the Han people here in the Li village?"

An old man appeared among the gathered people, along with a few young men.

He seemed to be the village chief or leader.

"I am Tang Chelsan, the head of the Tang Family in Sichuan. We are here because..."

While the old man from Chelsan started talking to the Li leader, I observed the people at the village entrance.

Something felt off from the moment we arrived.

The village atmosphere was extremely gloomy.

How to put it? The village lacked vitality.

There were no children playing or women's voices, and even the birds were unusually quiet.

Moreover, since Hainan is hot, people generally lack energy during the day, but the Li people at the village entrance all looked strange.

More than half of them had vacant eyes and seemed extremely listless.

'What is this? It looks like they've all taken some kind of drug.'

They looked as if they were under the influence of some drug.

As I felt a sense of unease, the old man's firm voice rang out.

"We know nothing about the disappearances, and nothing unusual has happened in our village. Go back now."

"But, the population is so low compared to the houses... and the epidemic?"

"It's not something the Han people should be concerned about!"

The Li people usually welcome guests with women gathering at the entrance and guiding them into the village, but this was an unusual situation.

Looking in the direction of the sound, the old man from Chelsan, who had described the Li as friendly, was looking at me with a puzzled expression.

'I said it depends on the case...'

And at that moment.

-Thud.

A thud sounded, and one of the villagers watching us collapsed.

'A child?'

As the crowd parted, a fallen young girl was revealed. She was breathing heavily, her chest rising and falling rapidly.

The village chief ran to her, cradling her and shouting.

"Ah! Meizhen! No! My only remaining bloodline, how can you be taken by the epidemic too!"

The old man, holding the girl and weeping, was approached by the old man from Chelsan, who quickly offered his help.

"I know medicine. Let me see the child."

"Medicine? You know the medicine of the Central Plains!?"

"Yes. I'm not a doctor, but I know medical texts and techniques. Let me examine the child."

The village, which had been ready to drive us away, now welcomed us as a group of gods.

The Medicine God.

"Please! Save our Meizhen! The epidemic is spreading, and the children are dying. Even the strong are suffering! We tried to invite a Han doctor, but they wouldn't come this far!"

"I understand. Let's take the child to your house."

"Ah, I see! What are you waiting for? Bring the Medicine God's group to my house!"

Indeed, the Medicine God is respected in any era.

And the old man from Chelsan, who knew medicine, was now viewed differently by the Sichuan Tang Family.

While the family, which cultivates martial arts through poisons, seemed suspicious, the Medicine God made a good impression.

'The Medicine God gets a higher score.'