484 - The Outcast Writer of a Martial Arts Visual Novel

EP.484 The Case - Part 2 "Master Gang, welcome." "You're back! What did Grandfather say!" Jegal Sojeo and Jeon Gil-san greeted him expectantly as he returned to the mansion. I heard a cousin of yours died. They want me to investigate. And in the process, I'm supposed to try to win over my great-aunt a bit. It might have been what both of them were waiting for, but announcing the death of a relative right upon arrival felt a bit inappropriate. "They asked if you were upset." Before getting to the main topic, he brought up the conversation with Jang Noya. "Did Grandfather really say that?" "Yeah, I asked him if he was disappointed too. And then he just laughed." "Wow!" Jegal Sojeo gasped, covering her mouth with both hands in surprise. Jeon Gil-san clenched his fists, speaking excitedly. "It's over! It's over, just as I thought... the gem I picked is finally shining! Amazing!" "Who says you picked anything?" I've been here all along. "Even if there's a gem, you need someone to chip it and polish it to be acknowledged by others! Anyway, why do you bother with such trivial things? Oh, by the way, how did you get everything cleared up? I didn't have time to hear the whole story, so fill me in." "I used a little trick." He briefly explained how he utilized the relationship between the Inspector General and the Estate Owner to move the officials. "You should have told me about such an amusing scheme earlier! I wasted ten days dealing with all the backlogged inn business." Jeon Gil-san grumbled, clearly disgruntled about missing out on the event. "If it's overdue, deal with it." He figured it was helpful, so he didn't mind much, but your inn isn't unstaffed, you know. "I'm great at my duties, despite how I may seem. But really, why didn't you tell us? Was there a reason to keep it secret from both Hyangi and I?" Jeon Gil-san thumped his chest, curious about the secrecy. "Well..." There was a reason, though it felt a bit weak if he were to reveal it. Maybe it was not knowing if it'd work out. "Hehe." "Miss Jegal?" As he hesitated with a troubled expression, Jegal Sojeo hid her smile behind her hand, observing him. "Hehe! Master Gang, perhaps..." Her eyes curved into crescent moons as she spoke. "What is it? Did Hyangi catch something?" Jegal Sojeo nodded and approached him. What was happening? "Is it because it would be impressive?" She looked at him knowingly as she neared. "Ah." Was he found out? "I knew it! Revealing it all at once would be incredibly impressive. Truly noteworthy!" As he wore an expression of being caught off guard, Jegal Sojeo triumphantly placed her fists on her hips. "What are you talking about? Hyangi, explain it so I can understand." "Hehe! It's like this! A nameless artist rising in fame among the Infinite! Known for best comprehending Master Painter Ho Pil’s world with Manager Gang! On the day his paintings are revealed, it's a sea of people eager to see his work first!" "A sea of people?" "Amidst it all, a woman in shabby attire sits disinterested. She's not using a concealment technique, yet her presence is so faint. As people pass by, they start whispering." Jegal Sojeo continued with an animated expression, not missing a beat. "What do they whisper?" "They wonder if she knows what day it is, sitting there sipping tea. Pretending to be a die-hard fan of Master Ho Pil’s works? Look, when his paintings are revealed, she's over there with a brush as if she's an expert? People sneer and head to view the paintings. Then, when they try to sit where the woman was, they find a sheet of paper, shocked!" "Shocked?" "It's a miniature version of the painting they just saw! Could it be? Was Master Painter Ho Pil’s assistant here?! World-shattering! That woman was Master Painter Ho Pil’s assistant! Find her! We failed to recognize her in front of us! Suddenly, all attention is on the shabby woman, just like Master Gang now!" Jegal Sojeo pointed to him as if she knew it all along. "Haha, indeed." "Hehe! It's just like Master Gang!" Jegal Sojeo gave him a thumbs-up with both hands, gazing at him with admiration. It's embarrassing. Well, honestly, I thought it would look impressive if revealed from a completely unknown state, hence the secrecy. But to think someone would notice. Jegal Sojeo's admiring gaze made him increasingly bashful. Miss Jegal, while praise is nice, the exposure makes me feel like hiding more and more. As he turned his head in embarrassment, Jeon Gil-san nodded in understanding and spoke to Jegal Sojeo. "Hyangi, is that how you usually imagine things?" "Oh…!" ———— "Did Brother Yangbaek throw himself into the water?" "They found him by the riverside this morning." Jegal Sojeo had tried going into a box that was suddenly produced from somewhere, and he barely stopped her to broach the next topic. "How could that be...!" "Tch, tch. It finally came to this." Jeon Gil-san clicked his tongue, expressing regret with a sorrowful look. "Do you know something?" "Before the heir exam, Brother Yangbaek would occasionally say things like this." "What did he say?" "He often expressed his desire, repeatedly stating that he was effectively Grandfather’s eldest grandson now, so he could aim for the heir position." "It must have been quite a shock." With the death of his only son, the Gold-Weaving Lord’s lineage was cut off. Being the eldest daughter’s son, he might have hoped to at least oversee the ancestral rites, even if not as the proper heir. Naturally, if that happened, he would have become the successor of the Gold-Weaving Manor. If he'd been aiming for the successor position, but then found himself eliminated immediately in the first phase upon the announcement of the exam, it was no wonder the shock was overwhelming. "Grandfather is impressive too, suggesting this moment be used to win favor with Great-Aunt." “It's just about thoroughly examining the case, but should I offer my condolences since he jumped?” Jang Noya suggested taking charge of the investigation and comforting the bereaved family. Stepping into a house where a child has died feels daunting. He muttered under his breath in frustration. "Great-aunt must be feeling as if she wants to tear her hair out. And so must you and Grandfather." "Master Gang..." They looked at him with concern in their eyes. "It's alright. I should visit, even if just to gather information about the case." He figured it was worth making an effort, if only to score some points. "Oh! That's right! I almost forgot about Brother Yangbaek." Jeon Gil-san, having remembered something, clapped his hand against his palm and turned to him. "Why? What's up?" Could it be a clue related to the jump? Seeing the surprise on his face, Jeon Gil-san scratched his head awkwardly before revealing an important fact. "He’s been missing for the past month." ————— "His whereabouts have been unknown for a month?" "Everyone thought he just left on a silent trip out of despair after failing the exam. It wasn’t the first time something like this happened." Jeon Gil-san shrugged as he added more context. "Really? Is that so?" The deceased had disappeared after the first round of the test. Something seemed off. He headed straight to the local administrative office. "Captain Gang! What brings you here?" A guard he recognised approached him warmly. "You know the body that was found this morning?" "The body discovered this morning?" "Could you get me some records on that if you have them?" "Well…" The guard looked away, appearing a bit uncomfortable. "What's the issue? Is someone else in charge of it?" This is the government office, after all, so things might need to follow certain procedures. It's problematic if it takes too much time. "Last night, there were three incidents of martial artists fighting, two incidents involving civilians, three on the streets, and three in the water, among countless others…" The guard began listing off incidents with an obscurity that left him puzzled. "What are you talking about?" "I'm listing only the cases involving corpses that have come in this morning. It's actually a quiet day." Right. This is Wuhon, the capital of Hubei Province. In a world where martial artists roam freely, asking about a dead body might indeed warrant a nonchalant reaction. "The man's name was Ma Yangbaek." He revealed the deceased's name. "You should have said early on! He's in the list of drownings." The guard retrieved a sheet from his belongings and handed it over. "Any details about the incident?" "It's been ruled a drowning, concluded as a suicide. I'll get it for you right away." The guard quickly fetched the data and presented it to him. "Ma Yangbaek. Drowning. Presumed to have drowned himself at night. Something's off." He frowned as he skimmed over the report. "What is it?" "There are no witnesses." "What?" "He drowned in a lake, but no one saw anything. No one at any nearby establishment claimed to have seen him either." The first rule when a body is discovered is to check for witnesses. The report didn't note anyone seeing Ma Yangbaek heading towards the lake or struggling in the water. "If he jumped, does it matter?" "Someone missing for a month shows up as a corpse without witnesses out of the blue…” It's suspicious. Very suspicious. "Maybe he finally lost hope and made a drastic decision?" It's not an unlikely speculation. "If he decided after losing hope, you're right in saying that." Judging by his behavior, it indeed seems likely to be a suicide case. But there's something deeply strange about it. Too many things feel off to just move on. He immediately turned away. "Where are you going?" "Let's head to your great-aunt's house. I need to look into this more closely." Whether it's suicide or not, there's a need to resolve these uncertainties. Even if it turns out to be a suicide, that's fine. It'll be a chance to display how diligently a nephew-in-law can work for the sake of his great-aunt’s family. "She's one of those who despised you for being a foreigner. It's okay if they're not thrilled about it?" Pausing briefly at Gil-san's remark, he offered a bitter smile. He clearly remembered her face. She was one of the people who had passionately criticized him as a barbarian when he was declared a new candidate for the Gold-Weaving Lord's heir. "Well, then I just need to make sure she unlocks the door for me with a smile." There were countless ways to achieve that.