427 - The Outcast Writer of a Martial Arts Visual Novel

The road of Liaodong City begins at the Yalu River, marking the border with Joseon. Starting from Dandong, where one can faintly see Uiju, a strategic point of Joseon beyond the Yalu River, the road passes through Chakmun, a trading post between Joseon and the Central Plains, and eventually reaches Shenyang in the north, the provincial capital of Liaodong and home to the Mo Yong family. In other words, the trade routes managed by the Central Plains and the Mo Yong family encompass the road between Shenyang and Uiju of Joseon. Even the most critical trade route in Liaodong can occasionally be attacked by bandits or Jurchens. Traveling further east meant the state of public order could be easily predicted. Numerous Jurchens and groups of bandits. To the commoners who had barely settled on arable lands, these groups were perpetually a source of fear. "Ba-bandits!" "Get inside the house! Hide the children!" Upon spotting the bandits' heads beyond the ridge, the villagers hastily sounded drums to signal the approaching threat. "Bandits, you say. There's no end to the slanders on us, the Jeokpoongdan." He, the leader of the bandit group Jeokpoongdan, smirked with a twitch of his mouth as he leisurely made his way toward the village. Jeokpoongdan. The bandit group currently dominating this region, notorious for their brutality, showed no hesitation in killing even children if they displeased him. "Kehaha! As long as we don't get caught showing something unseemly. But where are all the men?" All the people they had seen until a moment ago had disappeared into their homes. Only the village elder and a few men stood waiting in front of the storage, showing no sign of resistance. The sub-leader laughed heartily at the despairing look of the villagers. "Tsk tsk tsk. Seems like they've given up after a few beatings. The younger generation really lacks spirit." "Didn't all those who dared to show spirit in front of the boss end up with their skulls crushed?" "Hehe, that's true. Still, it's a pity. There's fun in crushing skulls every time we visit." With eyes gleaming with madness, the leader smacked his lips. "Wonder how much those beggars could've gathered... I miss the days when a single raid would feed us for a month." The sub-leader grumbled in reminiscence of just a few years ago. "Damn Mo Yong family bastards..." "Those bastards have no trade ethics. If they monopolize the trade routes, what are folks like us, living day-to-day on toll collection, supposed to do?" "I'm telling you, those bastards are the real thieves." Ironically, it was the Mo Yong family that drove the bandits to head into the impoverished east. Once Mo Yong Sang Ah seized control of the trade route with Joseon, many bandit groups perished, and the surviving ones had to shift their focus to the less-guarded east of Liaodong. "Feeling down, what do you think, boss? Leave the money to the lads and start with savoring the women?" "This slum doesn't look like it offers any worthwhile women... Huh?" The leader momentarily doubted his own eyes. "What's wrong?" "You stay here, bring only half with me." "Boss?" The leader spurred his horse urgently, ignoring whatever the sub-leader had to say. A woman with skin so pale, unseen in a remote village. Even from a distance, her beauty was strikingly apparent. —— "There, over there!" In the village where everyone had disappeared into their homes, the bandits turned into hunting dogs. At the leader's command, they busily moved to corner a woman. "Where did she go?" "There she is!" "Why the rush, miss?" In the heart of the village, the hunting dogs succeeded in their chase. The leader spread his arms, blocking the fleeing woman. "..." The woman barely evaded his attempt to embrace her, but in his eyes, it seemed merely like a cute tantrum. "My, my. How could we not know such a beauty was in this village?" A beauty with skin so white in a village barely managing crop farming. Could a lotus grow in such filthy mud? No, even a lotus didn't suffice to describe the woman's appearance. All the bandits surrounding her were stunned, drooling over her looks. "Bandits?" An equally beautiful voice escaped from the woman's stoic lips. "Wow. Even her voice is lovely. Lovely. You must know why we've come? Let's not make this troublesome for us, alright? Hehehe." Does she not know who I am? Or has she simply lost her sense of fear? Either way, it didn't matter. The woman's fate was sealed. Desire flickered in the eyes of the leader. ‘After days of empty-handedness, we're finding an incredible treasure!’ He was just about to approach the woman to embrace her when— "L-Le-Leader." One of the bandits shouted with trembling teeth. "What?" "I-I think I've seen her somewhere before." You've seen her. His eyes couldn't be mistaken; he'd seen her before. That appearance couldn't be forgotten. It surely was that woman. The bandit couldn't control his quivering jaw. "What? Trying to stake a claim first with that...!” A beautiful arc was drawn above the giant's neck. The leader's head was flying. The body of the giant fell, and until just now, the lust-glazed head rolled powerlessly in front of the bandits. None of the bandits could believe what just happened in an instant. "W-What the hell is this?!" "I-It's her! The Mantis from the Mo Yong family!" The panicked voice of a bandit echoed. Already much too late. "Mo Yong family?!" In the center of the bandit group, faced with a group holding weapons, the woman's expression remained calm and unyielding. "Changbong Brigade." Hidden tigers had surrounded the hunting dogs. Mo Yong Sang Ah had been waiting silently, calling upon the Changbong Brigade. "Charge!" "What in the world is this?" Only then did the bandits notice the Changbong Brigade encircling them. And then they understood. They had ventured too deep into the village. They had already dismounted to chase the woman through the alleys. It was too late to escape. "Leave none alive." The hunters had turned into the hunted. —— "Damn it! It's the Mo Yong family!" "Shit! What the hell are they doing here?!" The sudden appearance of the Mo Yong family members shocked even the bandits who were waiting outside the village. "What are you all standing around for? Mount your horses quickly!" The sub-leader shouted at the panicked bandits and promptly jumped onto his horse. "Sub-leader! Are we going to rescue the leader?!" "From today, I'm the leader! Got it, 'sub-leader'?" "Yes! Understood, leader!" The bandit group was bound solely by mutual interests. Loyalty was a foreign concept to them. "At the back! Mo Yong family's forces are charging!" One bandit shouted, pointing towards the Changbong Brigade advancing from the village. "Damn it!" "The horses are still fresh! Should we just go all out now?!" "You idiots! The Mo Yong family smashes the heads of Jurchens who have been riding horses since they were sucklings! Move your asses!" The sub-leader cracked his whip as soon as he saw all the bandits mounted. "Front! Mo Yong family on the right!" "Those bastards! They came out fully prepared!" They dug a trap to annihilate us, waiting for the moment. The man gritted his teeth as he muttered. "Leader! What do we do?!" The newly promoted sub-leader shouted with terror-stricken eyes as he watched the Mo Yong warriors approaching. "Sub-leader!" "Yes!" "I'll remember you!" "What?" "I'll make sure to commemorate your sacrifice, sub-leader! Hyah!" "Neighhhh!" The man's whip struck the horse that the sub-leader had mounted. The horse, spurred by sudden pain, dashed forward heedlessly. "You bastard! Whipping in that spot! Hey!!! You damned—aaaaah!" A swift promotion and a swift demotion. "We'll remember you too!" The bandits, knowing they'd be next if they didn't act, whipped their compatriots' horses. Enough of them charged towards the Mo Yong warriors to buy time. "You crazy idiots!" "Curse you! I'll remember you even in helllll!" "What a miserable farewell! Head left!" Fortunately, they bought some time. The man smirked and turned his reins. Half of their band had been lost, but it didn't matter. He was the leader now. As long as he made it back alive, he'd make up for today's losses by squeezing out the lives of others. As he smiled with satisfaction— "Over there, beyond the ridge!" Just beyond the ridge ahead, a multitude of cavalry appeared silhouetted against the sun. "Listen up, everyone." The leader of the Changbong Brigade, Mo Yong Pyeong, didn't pay attention to the charging bandits. Instead, he looked at the tense newcomers. "Another Mo Yong detachment ahead!!!" "What?!" "You're chicks just out of the nest." For the past two years, they had been selecting and training warriors from Chuseondang, preparing them for reclaiming the Mo Yong family from the clutches of the Demonic Cult and Chongryongjeon. Mo Yong Pyeong spoke calmly to the newcomers. "Charge!" "No chick enters the Changbong Brigade." "Charge!" "Those who fall off their horses won’t enter the Chengbong Tournament but will start training from scratch in Chuseondang." "Charge!" "Prove that you’re not chicks." "Charge!" No further explanation of the operation was necessary. They’d been trained too well to require a reminder at this point. "Dammit!!!! It's too late to change direction!!!" "Noooooo!" Voices riddled with fear echoed from those foolish enough to plunder within the realm of the Mo Yong family. It was the perfect situation for real-world training. "All-out charge." "Curse you, Mo Yong familyyyyyy!!!" The last screams of the bandit group resonated across the plains. ————— "Hehe. So, the Mantis longed for a man, huh." As the situation outside the village was systematically cleaned up, the bandits surrounding Mo Yong Sang Ah showed no intention of breaking the siege easily. No matter how famous they might be, it was still just one woman. If they gave up the hostage, a ruthless hunt would surely ensue. They couldn’t afford to let her go. "..." "What insolence towards the Master!" "Stay calm." Mo Yong Sang Ah spoke in a composed tone to the deputy leader, who was visibly flustered. "Master!" "Yes. If you're not careful, your master might end up with another hole." "Even if we go down, that wench dies with us!" Maybe those bandits had accepted their doom; they showed no signs of retreating easily. 'I can’t let this just end with catching mere bandits.' Mo Yong Sang Ah watched intently, gripping her sword, as the bandits approached. It wasn't that she was frozen by fear of a mere bandit group. 一 The foundation has been laid out for the Changbong Brigade, but its internal stability poses an issue. Mo Yong Sang Ah recalled her subordinates, who remained silent, feeling inferior in front of Chong-Un, a man who extended a helping hand to those in need. To prevail at the critical moment where the fate of her family hung in the balance, expanding the organization had been the priority. Her brother, who had colluded with the Demonic Cult, was that formidable. Numerous warriors were recruited to form the Changbong Brigade, businesses expanded, and she built a justification to seize control of the family. As the head of the Changbong Pavilion, Mo Yong Sang Ah led an organization so robust that it was hard to believe it had been established in just two years, yet something vital was missing. She recalled the last words of an unforgettable love. 一 Regain the Mo Yong family. Her beloved had instructed her—regain the Mo Yong family. Counter force with another force. Was simply ousting her brother colluded with the Demonic Cult enough to reclaim the Mo Yong family? No, she needed to become a beacon. "Mom, the fairy is in danger." "Stay still." She held a star within her. The notorious Demonic Cult. The heroic warrior who willingly entered danger to save a loved one, knowing death awaited outside the gate, yet still smiled at her till the end. In her heart, an undying star shone brightly. Mo Yong Sang Ah looked at the tense Changbong Brigade. They needed to know. They were not mere martial artists from a declining clan. They were part of the Changbong Brigade opposing the Demonic Cult, a pillar of justice in Liaodong, members of the Mo Yong family. She must become a star for them. Just as her beloved had become a guiding star for her, she must now become a star for others. On the plains of Manchuria, like the North Star guiding those lost under the night sky. 'Even if I someday fall from the heavens after achieving my goal...' The Mo Yong family, safeguarding their pride and tradition of righteousness for a millennium. Mo Yong Sang Ah resolved to demonstrate this to the many members of the Changbong Brigade. "Now, I will show you the sword of the Mo Yong family." The Meteor Sword Technique. In Mo Yong Sang Ah's hand, the sword of the Mo Yong family, which had been protected for a thousand years, shone brightly.