Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang

As I sat in front of a map of the Central Plains—one that was even less detailed than something I could’ve drawn with my foot—I was deep in thought.

Then, Hwa-eun pointed to a specific location.

“So-ryong, if we’re heading out, we should go here first.”

She was indicating a spot near the border between Sichuan and Qinghai—one of the villages that had come up from the information I received in exchange for the Queen Bee Royal Jelly Wine.

“Here?”

Hwa-eun nodded and explained.

“Yes. The Governor of Sichuan said he would help gather information about the Tiger Salamander, but since we’re looking for someone who actually saw it ten years ago, it’ll take quite some time to find the right person.

And Qinghai is the farthest destination.

But this village—we already know exactly where it is, and it’s on the way to Qinghai. So it makes the most sense to check it first.

Besides, it’s impossible for us to visit all the locations in one trip.”

Her reasoning was logical and well-structured, and I couldn’t help but nod along.

It was the same conclusion I had reached.

The area with the salt lakes in Qinghai was incredibly far, and since we couldn’t travel there by boat, it would be a long journey.

On top of that, we’d need a carriage for such a trip—but whether I could even bring Cho and Bini along was still uncertain.

And as for the Tiger Salamander, while the Governor of Sichuan had taken it upon himself to gather information as repayment for the elixir, it wasn’t going to be easy to pinpoint its exact location.

Even my father-in-law had taken a deep interest in the creature, given the rumors of its deadly venom.

But tracking down the place where it had been spotted a decade ago? That was no easy task.

Sichuan was a vast province. Searching for the Tiger Salamander could take a long time.

So that left only one viable option—the place where the Governor had already provided a precise location.

The mountain village near Seokjip, on the Qinghai border, where the giant insect had been spotted.

We already knew exactly where it was. All that was left was to go there and investigate.

“You’re right.”

“And besides, we’ll be able to go there on our own without needing permission.”

Hwa-eun was right again.

It would be much easier to get permission to leave for that location.

Up until now, I hadn’t been able to leave without my grandfather or father-in-law accompanying me, thanks to the Blood Cult and Five Venoms Sect.

Those lunatics were still out for revenge, and if they managed to capture us while we were traveling alone, it would be an absolute disaster.

But Seokjip was in the northwest of Sichuan, a much safer area.

Sichuan was divided into three main territories:

• The Tang Clan controlled the east, centered around Chengdu.
• The Qingcheng Sect controlled the northwest.
• The Emei Sect controlled the southwest.

The village near Seokjip fell under Qingcheng’s jurisdiction.