The Outcast Writer of a Martial Arts Visual Novel

“Mr. Owner, what are you going to do if you just sell off my book?”

I stood in front of the Chilgok County bookstore, arms crossed, confronting the owner.

It was true I felt anxious because no one was reading my book. However, it certainly wasn’t destined to fail.

My book only needed one person to get hooked. Then, word of mouth would spread. That’s what I waited for.

I never imagined the owner would sell it to a peddler.

“What should I do with a book that no one even borrows?”

“You agreed to put it on sale at a low price.”

“So I did, for ten whole days. Then a peddler brought in new books, and I ran out of space. Who would buy a book no one borrows? I had to sell it while I could.”

Even rental shops set books aside after their new release period, but selling them off?

It reminded me of a rental shop novel that only I found interesting.

‘Madam Owner, when is volume 2 coming?’

‘That? I just returned it.’

How did it feel to have your own diligently written work returned from a rental shop? I wasn’t a writer during my rental shop days, so I didn’t know that feeling.

I never thought I’d experience it here. My book returned? I’d rather have it back than feel this injustice.

Where exactly had it been sold?

“Where was the book sold to?”

“To a peddler heading to Wuhan.”

“Wuhan is too far…”

I had written my pseudonym in tiny letters on the corner of ‘The Tale of Martial Heroes’ cover.

Kang Mo (某).

Kang Someone. The most famous Kang Someone in Chilgok County was me, the black-haired man from Joseon.

Once my book became famous, they would come looking for me. They’d offer money for handwritten copies, and I’d start producing them. I didn’t care about illegal reproductions.

They’d be too curious about the contents of volume 2.

Who really was the identity of the woman being chased by the villain? She was said to be pretty, but would she actually have a romance with the protagonist? Can the Wudang Sect protagonist truly escape the villains’ pursuit?

“Please give us volume 2!!”

“I really want to see volume 2!!”

“Ha-ha, I don’t have money to write volume 2.”

I rubbed my nose, indicating that if they gave me money, I would write volume 2. It was a perfect plan for my novelist debut in Chilgok County.

Now, even if my book became famous somewhere, they would look for the most famous Kang Someone in Wuhan.

“Eventually, it was a huge failure.”

I argued briefly with the bookstore owner and then left. There was no point in getting worked up over a book that had already gone far away. Besides, I was too hungry to be angry.

I sighed deeply, looking at the blue sky.

I had anticipated this, actually.

I had expectations because the novel turned out well. But I knew that writing a famous book with just one volume was unrealistic. Maybe I was too caught up in wishful thinking.

That was the problem with being a writer.

Once you started writing, you got caught up in wishful thinking. In reality, even if you rewrote the prologue dozens of times, few books became hits.

I didn’t analyze market tastes and couldn’t mass-produce the book. It was foolish to think my book would become a hit.

My first writing attempt in the martial arts visual novel world was a colossal failure.

But instead of feeling despair about the failure, I felt a sense of relief. With the deep sigh I had just exhaled towards the sky, I blew away all negative thoughts.

I had failed, but I hadn’t lost my goal to escape this world. I was just a bit too hasty.

The light in the darkness, the ending condition, still shone. If I progressed without rushing, I would reach my destination. That’s what I believed and how I would live.

“Now, what do I do to make a living?”

Goals were goals. The future was the future. The destruction of Han-ta, who gathered souls, didn’t change that. Now, it was time to deal with the aftermath.

Fortunately, my body had fully recovered. The problem was that I had spent all my money making the book. I could survive another ten days or so on just a piece of flour bread, but I needed to find work.

Should I start working as a storyteller again?

It would be a problem if those guys from Cheongsapa came again.

While I was worrying, someone addressed me.

“Are you the famous Joseon storyteller?”

Who was this? I turned around and saw a middle-aged man. Despite the deep wrinkles on his face and hands, he was dressed in clean, fine clothing.

He looked like a servant from a well-off house.

“Yes, I am Kang Mo, the storyteller currently working in the marketplace.”

“Ah! I’ve found the right person. I am a servant of Mr. Im Gapsu, the owner of the famous Gapsu Trading Company in Chilgok County.”

“Gapsu Trading Company? I’ve seen it passing by. What does someone from such an establishment want with me?”

I remembered them as a prominent trading company in Chilgok County, dealing in silk.

“It’s not much, but Mr. Im Gapsu’s sixtieth birthday party is coming up in a few days. Would you be willing to tell Joseon stories on that day? If you agree, we would like to host you as a guest of the Gapsu Trading Company at the celebration.”

That was an unexpected offer. It was like being invited to a party as a celebrity or comedian.

I sensed a big opportunity looming.

“Of course. It’s Mr. Im Gapsu’s sixtieth birthday, a respected figure in this town. I must attend.”

“Ah! Then…”

You should listen to the end of the story. I immediately interrupted the servant, who had a bright face.

“But! As you know, I’m quite famous in Chilgok County these days. People come every day to the place where I tell my stories. I wonder if it’s okay to disappoint them and go to the Gapsu Trading Company that day…”

I danced around the subject, but what I really wanted to know was if it would be okay to forgo my earnings for the day to attend.

I felt a twinge of guilt. It had been fifteen days since I last had any work. But my popularity was undeniable. I had even overheard people wondering why I wasn’t working lately.

“Gapsu Trading Company never disappoints its guests.”

The servant’s voice carried a certain gravity. As expected, someone from a trading company could easily grasp the subtext.

They were implying they would pay handsomely.

However, I couldn’t just accept a vague offer on the spot.

Once, a man promised to treat me to a full-course meal if I visited his place. When I actually showed up, he only wanted to hit the PC café. Shouldn’t he have at least offered me a round of billiards?

They seemed more desperate. Perhaps I could negotiate a better arrangement.

“Of course, I’m not averse to being a guest of Gapsu Trading Company. In fact, it’s quite the honor. My hesitation stems from concern.”

“What concerns might those be?”

“You may not be aware, but I’ve been ill these past few days and unable to work. I’ve recovered, yet after several days without adequate food or rest, I’m hardly in a state to look after myself. I’m worried that I might not perform my storytelling duties well on the day.”

I adopted a look of mild distress.

Time to talk terms.

“Oh, how unfortunate… Then how about you come to Gapsu Trading Company as a guest starting today? You can rest, eat well, and be in perfect shape to entertain on the big day.”

A few days of sleep not on a damp straw mattress in a hovel, but in a luxurious house’s bed?

This was an opportunity not to be missed.

“If you can provide that, I will dedicate myself to delivering a top-notch performance for the sixtieth birthday celebration.”

“Excellent. Let us depart together.”

Perfect.

Might I finally sink my teeth into some succulent meat? If it was a banquet, perhaps I’d even sip some wine. My empty belly rumbled at the mere thought of food.

Such were the twists of fate.

Just a few days ago, I had been swindled, beaten, and my novel had failed. Today, I was invited as a guest by a trading company. I would probably receive a generous payment and be able to rest comfortably.

Without showing too much excitement, I followed the servant with a light step.

In the shanty town of Chilgok County.

Cheon Gija, the fortuneteller, was still sitting there.

“The ghost guest is taking too long.”

It had been over two weeks since Cheon Gija had met the Defier of Heaven).

He had come here because he was destined to meet both a noble guest and a ghostly visitor. He had easily met the noble one, but the ghostly visitor still hadn’t appeared.

Others said it was good to do fortune-telling for others, even if it was just a side job. But these days, the problem was the appearance of the hooligans here, clouding the waters.

They could be from the Cheongsa Sect or the Worm Sect.

Thanks to them, even the few customers who used to come here every day had stopped coming.

“Father, who is doing business here?”

A bunch of nobodies, not even worth calling them thugs, had even approached Cheon Gija. Cheon Gija looked at one of the approaching black market guys and spoke.

“Your father passed away early, and your mother worked hard to raise you.”

“How could you know that, or how would Lady Younggam know?”

One of the leaders among the Cheongsapa seemed to threaten Cheon Gija but stopped.

When there was a gang of ruffians, there were usually one or two of them with unfortunate family backgrounds. Finding such a person didn’t require fortune-telling.

“Go see your mother right now. You should see her before she passes away.”

When Cheon Gija spoke seriously, the Cheongsapa thug hesitated for a moment.

“Old man, if this is a lie, I’ll kill you!! Let’s go!”

Realizing that something was wrong, the martial artist from the Cheongsapa led the others and disappeared.

As the martial artist from the Cheongsapa disappeared from sight, Cheon Gija spoke.

“The Sha (煞) has gone to your mother. You’ve accumulated too much bad karma by tormenting those weaker than you. Will you be able to bear the consequences when the arrow comes back to you soon after your mother’s death?”

Cheon Gija looked at the alley where the Cheongsapa martial artists had vanished with a bitter expression.

The alley, where the sun had just set, was slowly filling up with beggars. The village of wooden planks would soon echo with the cries of the sick and hungry and be dotted with people sleeping on empty stomachs.

In the end, he hadn’t encountered a single paying customer that day.

Just as Cheon Gija was about to put away his tools and leave, a woman appeared before him.

Where had she come from? Just a moment before, there had been no one.

“A woman who appears at twilight. Quite unusual.”

“Cheon Gija, right?”

Without responding to Cheon Gija’s remark, the expressionless woman asked about his identity.

“That’s right. And who are you, the guest who comes at this hour?”

“If you’re Cheon Gija, guess.”

Even when presented with gold and silver, it was difficult to coax a word out of Cheon Gija. The woman’s attitude actually made him nervous.

“Hmm. A woman who appears at a time when it’s hard to distinguish between a dog and a wolf. It’s not uncommon to struggle with distinguishing between a dog and a wolf at this time, but it’s especially challenging now.”

“Do I not appear clearly?”

The woman stepped toward Cheon Gija, one foot at a time.

“No, it’s a way of saying that it’s difficult to tell if you’re a human guest or a ghost guest (鬼客) at this hour.”

“……”

At the mention of a ghost, the woman halted.

“Even concealing your original energy. I suppose I must greet you properly, if only for my own sake.”

Cheon Gija sat down and gave the woman a slight bow.

“Do you know who I am?”

Cheon Gija’s expression stiffened in response to the woman’s question.

He was about to meet a guest from the other world—

A ghostly guest. Did that mean a deceased person?

No, it was not a deceased person.

This was someone capable of turning a living person into a vengeful spirit.

“Why can’t you recognize this generation’s Heavenly Death Star (天殺星)?”

This was the person Cheon Gija had been waiting for, for so long.

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