414 - The Outcast Writer of a Martial Arts Visual Novel

"Yukiko, wouldn't it be great if you also had formidable skills like the Tang Sect?" Over the past few days, Yukiko had been engrossed in reading the Tang Sect stories and shared her resolve with Cheon So Hee. "We assassins cannot leave any traces." "You, number five, lack romance! Even the ninjas from the Eastern Province have their unique skills, like the shadow clone technique, wind shuriken, lightning splits. Everyone had their secret arts!" Yukiko moved her hands as if she were a ninja from the East, demonstrating moves that Cheon So Hee had never seen before. "What is that supposed to be?" "They exist, for sure! Jeok Na Chal, what do you think?" Seeing that Cheon So Hee didn't react much to her impressive moves, Yukiko called for reinforcements, invoking Dan Seo Wol's opinion. "What did you say?" Dan Seo Wol, lost in her thoughts, hadn’t been following the conversation. "Jeok Na Chal, is something the matter? You've looked a bit down the last few days!" "Is something going on?" Cheon So Hee asked with a hint of concern in her voice. "It's nothing. It's already dark outside." Dan Seo Wol shook her head, signaling to the two curious people it was time to wrap things up. "I'll be on my way." "Today’s Tang Sect narrative was delightful! Looking forward to tomorrow!" Dan Seo Wol silently watched her apprentice and Yukiko walk away after exchanging goodbyes, and then let out a quiet sigh. "…How should I handle this?" She pondered over the shocking news of the apprentice’s beloved living with another woman. It hadn’t been long since the apprentice sent a love letter. How could this have happened? As Dan Seo Wol sought details about Kang Yoon Ho, another piece of news arrived. [Lim Ha Yeon. Origin unknown. Pink hair. Blue eyes. Appearance: Exceptional.] Jeok Na Chal's attention was fixated on the last two words. "Exceptional appearance?" The assassin organization meticulously described their targets, including appearances, which they rated as superior, average, or poor. Exceptional was a rare designation. Even Jeok Na Chal couldn't hide her astonishment. "To be of comparable beauty to my student…" Exceptional was a status reserved for truly remarkable appearances. While her apprentice was a beauty, her looks would usually rank just as superior according to the assassin group's standards. Yet, the apprentice’s beauty had always been considered one of the finest in Joseon, enough to be labeled exceptional. Dan Seo Wol finally understood the situation somewhat. A woman with exceptional beauty living with the apprentice’s beloved. If true, it would be impossible for her beloved not to be swayed. "If she hears this, she'll not sit still." Perhaps, it might be best not to disclose the news from Wuchang for now. She hoped Kang Yoon Ho's affections wouldn’t falter. Dan Seo Wol worried the apprentice, who had just found her way, might lose her path again. "Jeok Na Chal, a letter from Wuchang for your apprentice has arrived. Also, there's a message from the branch manager for you." An assassin knocked on the door as Dan Seo Wol worried away in her room. "A letter, you say?" Living with another woman yet sending a letter? "Could it be a breakup letter?" Dan Seo Wol looked at Kang Yoon Ho's letter with shocked eyes. If correct, this would be a disaster. Should the apprentice read this, an irreversible situation might occur. In that case, the letter must never be shown to the apprentice. She eyed Kang Yoon Ho's letter warily as she read the small message from the Wuchang branch manager addressed to her. [Young Master Kang Yoon Ho somewhat understands the situation. You can show the letter without worry.] "What is this…?" ---------- "He’s living with another woman?" The shocking news struck Cheon So Hee like a thunderbolt. The thought of her brother living with another woman was so unbelievable that she could only widen her eyes in disbelief. "Yukiko, this is outrageous! How could he leave behind a lovely partner like Number Five? Is that man a womanizer?" "Who is that woman?" Cheon So Hee’s trust in Kang Yoon Ho remained firm. He was the brother who recently wrote a letter proclaiming his love. There’s no way it could be his fault. Her brother would never do such a thing. 'It’ll be like Tang Jeong of Tang Sect.' Certainly, it must be the fault of the woman living with him. Cheon So Hee, educated by Tang Sect stories, knew well. Even if a man only has eyes for one woman, temptations exist. Even though Tang Jeong only had eyes for the most beautiful lady in Sichuan, Gu Suk Jung, there was always someone like Du Eung Hyang seducing him. Surely, it was that woman’s fault. A woman like Du Eung Hyang. Who on earth are you? A sticky, dark feeling rose up Cheon So Hee’s voice. "Eek! The cicada's shell shedding technique! It’s activating!" "Stop being so dramatic and just read this." Dan Seo Wol, appearing nonchalant, pulled out a letter from her pocket. "What’s this?" "It’s a letter from your brother." It began with a suspicion from Kang Yoon Ho. He worried that the assassin group might report his whereabouts to So Hee. If So Hee were to find out about his news? If she knew about him living with Im Ha Yeon? Kang Yoon Ho sent a letter to Cheon So Hee before he traveled to the infinite, while he was still in Wuchang, without yet being aware of Im Ha Yeon's feelings, thinking there was no reason for misunderstanding. Kang Yoon Ho decided to send a letter to Cheon So Hee to quickly clear the situation. "Give it to me." Cheon So Hee swiftly grabbed the letter. It contained Kang Yoon Ho’s explanation. [To my dear So Hee.] He wrote love, just like before. Even though he was living with another woman, he sent a letter professing his love. There surely was a reasonable explanation. A beam of light shone in the frozen heart of the heavenly killing star. Of course, the opening line was part of Kang Yoon Ho’s cunning plan. [So Hee, I’m writing because something extraordinary happened. Do you remember Uncle Wang from the fabric store? I recently met his daughter.] "Uncle Wang?" Cheon So Hee tilted her head in confusion at the unexpected name. "Someone you know?" "Yes. He’s a benefactor to my brother." He was someone who had helped her brother countless times when he was doing covert work. Cheon So Hee also remembered the man from the fabric shop. If Kang Yoon Ho were to see this, he'd be grinning contentedly. Not only did he share a mutual understanding that wasn't his secret alone, but he also managed to erase any suspicion by forming a bond between the two of them. It was a method he'd used since he first met the heavenly killing star. [She's an apprentice courtesan who escaped from the gyobang. When Uncle Wang curtly mentioned he severed ties with her, I was struck with how to help her — after all, she's the daughter of a benefactor. That’s when your face came to mind, So Hee.] "My face...?" Why would her face come to his mind while living with the daughter of Uncle Wang's fabric store? Cheon So Hee was absorbed in reading Yoon Ho's letter. [She is wounded by the world and full of suspicion, but desperately in need of a helping hand. It reminded me of a cat, like when I first met you. Maybe because she's your age, I couldn't help but constantly think of you, So Hee. That’s why I couldn’t just ignore her.] "You thought of me?" He didn't help her because she was pretty or had a nice figure, much less because his feelings for her had faded. He helped because she reminded him of her. Cheon So Hee understood Kang Yoon Ho's reasoning a bit, yet she felt somewhat dissatisfied as well. Because she reminded him of her? Did that mean she was a substitute? Kang Yoon Ho anticipated that Cheon So Hee might think that way and continued smoothly. [She grumbles while working, which only reminds me of the more grown-up So Hee. You were always much more mature, So Hee.] The letter was filled with affection, conveying that Cheon So Hee was better than Im Ha Yeon in every way. "Hah! Number Five is smiling!" Cheon So Hee quickly touched her cheeks, trying to hide her smile. [With my business flourishing, I managed to secure a separate house in Wuchang. Since there were plenty of empty rooms, I offered one to Uncle Wang’s daughter, who had nowhere else to go.] In the letter, Kang Yoon Ho made sure to refer to Im Ha Yeon simply as Uncle Wang’s daughter, while he used the endearing term "So Hee" for Cheon So Hee. "Why are they living together?" Cheon So Hee understood the circumstances but still couldn't accept the fact they lived together. Kang Yoon Ho anticipated this too, and addressed it. [I bought a large house intending to live there with you someday, So Hee, so I didn't find it hard to give a room to the daughter of a benefactor.] He countered one issue with another. While giving Im Ha Yeon just one room, the intent was to live together with Cheon So Hee. The words had a completely different meaning depending on interpretation. "Living with brother..." It worked. Cheon So Hee unconsciously started imagining a future living under one roof with him. [Even small ties entwine oddly like this, so what of our destiny, So Hee?] "Our destiny together." Cheon So Hee murmured to herself, blushing deeply. [My writings are becoming increasingly renowned. I dream of the day I will live in the same house as you, and I write this letter from what will be our home. Stay healthy.] Though the letter ended full of affection, Cheon So Hee's thoughts lingered. Yes, in this vast land, my brother and I are destined to meet again. He's living diligently even at this moment to rescue me. No mere girl from a fabric store could compare to such a fate. "So she's the daughter of Uncle Wang from the fabric store." Finally, a little relief washed over Cheon So Hee as she mumbled. On reflection, it seemed okay. He is her brother's benefactor, after all. The man who sighed but handled all the women she had knocked out without a word. She hadn't even paid him a penny for those favors. So, giving his daughter a room seemed permissible. Because as Kang Yoon Ho wrote, 'My brother’s fate is with me.' Cheon So Hee nodded in contentment. "Have you finished reading?" Cheon So Hee carefully tucked the letter away and stood up in response to her mentor's inquiry. "I’m heading for training." Her brother diligently lived on for her even now. She couldn’t continue relaxing just because she had completed her closed training. Cheon So Hee promptly headed to the training grounds. "How could this be? I thought she'd be furious!" Yukiko stared incredulously at the door Cheon So Hee had exited through. "Perhaps that’s why they call her the wife of the heavenly killing star." Dan Seo Wol was just as taken aback. Although she was told she would be fine, she never imagined she wouldn’t even show a hint of jealousy. "She even handled the news of living with another woman so well! Ho Pil Master must write excellent letters!" "He seems to understand her better than I do, even though I've been teaching her since she was young." Truly, she was left speechless. ------------- "Our esteemed Jeok Na Chal has arrived. Did you receive the letter well?" The head of the assassin faction, Makju, Dan Sae Ak, asked his sister who came to visit his office. "Thanks to the letter, I managed to resolve a little misunderstanding with my apprentice." "Just let me know anytime. The Wuchang branch manager is a Da Seo Hoi member, so he was already accommodating even before I asked." Thanks to that, I’m also well-updated with the latest publications. Makju laughed pleasantly even as his sister showed skepticism. "What was the sudden need to call me?" "Because of a new mission." Jeok Na Chal frowned at the words from Makju. Jeok Na Chal does not take on missions from the assassin group. So when the topic was missions, it indicated there was something to be given to someone else. "Makju, my apprentice is in the process of refining her achievements. You agreed to wait." "Don't wrinkle up your pretty face from the start. If you want to charm younger men and give me a niece or nephew, you might want to tone down the Jeok Na Chal temper." "I'm leaving." Jeok Na Chal turned around, determined not to continue the conversation. "I only wanted to tell you about an intriguing assignment." "An intriguing assignment?" The fact that Makju called her in over an intriguing assignment piqued Jeok Na Chal's interest, and she halted her steps to listen. "It's a protection mission, guarding someone against assassination threats." Makju picked up a file and said this with an amused expression. "A protection mission for an assassin group? Didn’t they find the wrong place to hire?" "It offered an amount enticing enough to reach headquarters." "Definitely a peculiar assignment." The fees for the assassin group’s services are steep. Hiring an assassin for long-term protection requires substantial funds. Who could possibly place such an order? "The other one is a hit job, but the aftermath might be problematic, despite the excessive payout. This, too, is intriguing." "Isn't it just a standard contract?" It's a routine job, not exactly fascinating. Makju grinned at Jeok Na Chal's inquiry as he held up the assignment documents in each hand. With a satisfied gesture, he overlapped the sheets diagonally. "These two assignments target the same person." Jeok Na Chal immediately grasped the implication. "A target for both assassination and protection?" "Exactly. That's what makes it interesting. Especially since both pay high sums." For the head of the assassin clan to refer to the fees as substantial was noteworthy. Not to mention they involve both protection and assassination. Even Jeok Na Chal, suspecting the situation was far from ordinary, asked with a curious expression. "……Who is it?" "Do you know Mo Yong Sang A of the Mo Yong family?" (The fate of all the heroines are now starting to intervene and there is still no sign of the protagonist and the blond princess)