495 - The Outcast Writer of a Martial Arts Visual Novel

EP.495 The Third Trial - Part 1 "Master Kang, the carriage is ready. Will you be a while?" "I'll head out right away." He had to bring back Jegal Sojeo, who had wandered off, hold hands with her on the way, deal with hot coffee that ended up on his trousers instead of his mouth—leading to an impromptu tap dance—and take a walk with a teary Jegal Sojeo amidst the autumn scenery, managing to handle work all the while for three days. And before he knew it, the final day of the trial had arrived. "Are you ready? Grandpa said to brace yourself and come." As he stepped out the door, Gilsan waited for him as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "Being well-fed and well-rested is preparation enough. Besides..." 'Brace yourself.' Whether Mangum Jeonju meant to hint that it was time to get ready as his successor, or simply to stay vigilant until the end, one couldn't be sure. But. "Huh?" "I'm always living with resolve!" What was resolve but another resolution? From the moment he realized he was a master of reversed destiny, from the time he promised reunion through farewell tears with Sohee, he'd known to always live with determination. He replied with a smile. "Sure, sure. You’ve nailed it. You really have." Jeon Gilsan shook his head in amusement. "Master Kang." Had his laughter revealed a trace of anxiety? Jegal Sojeo clutched his sleeve, as if worried. "There's really no need to worry. Just do what you've always done." Whatever it was, if it must be done, it must be done. As he reassured Jegal Sojeo, he also reassured himself. "M-me, too." Jegal Sojeo looked up at him, face flushed, as if she had more to say. "Yes?" "I-I'll keep helping you!" Oh dear. He couldn't help but hide a blossoming smile with his arm. The contrast of Jegal Sojeo's white face, flushed cheeks, and trembling silver eyes made it hard for him to resist her charms. He nearly wanted to scoop her up and spin her around. "Haaa. Recently, it feels like you kids don’t even see me. Maybe I've been visiting too often." If Gilsan hadn't been behind them, mock-shivering and scratching his arms, he might have acted on that impulse. "Thanks to Jegal Sojeo, I always feel secure. Let's go!" "Hee! Yes!" Today was the final day of the trial. He headed to the examination hall, his spirits buoyed by Jegal Sojeo's infectious smile. ——— "You’ve arrived. Please, follow me inside." "Thank you." Upon reaching the agreed place, Jeon Unyeob greeted him warmly. "You're finally here." "Gang Yunho......!" He thought he wasn’t late. Inside the expansive room, all five other successor candidates and Mangum Jeonju's daughters were already seated. "I heard you resolved the matter with Yangbaek." "What on earth was that woman thinking with her black hair..." "Ugh." At the edge of the room, complaints about him arose, and Jegal Sojeo, uncharacteristically, showed her displeasure. "Jegal Sojeo. It's alright. Let's sit together." "Master Kang." Jegal Sojeo. There's no need for you to feel sorry. If aunties dislike you, it's not your fault. “Why do they murmur instead of speaking directly if they have something to say?” Even Jeon Gilsan mumbled discontentedly, but it didn't matter much. The look of disdain and scorn had shifted to envy and jealousy, and over time, those gazes began to carry hints of fear and awe. Moreover. "Mangum Jeonju is drinking." The noise would soon vanish. ****** “Have all gathered?” As Mangum Jeonju took his seat of honor, the room fell silent. Jang Noya cast a nonchalant glance at his grandsons and daughters. Jealousy, envy, greed, fear, and many emotions intermingled in their eyes as they looked at him and one man with black hair. Jang Noya didn’t mind the mix of emotions filling the room. Integrity and moderation might be virtues for scholars, but they weren’t for merchants. A merchant without ambition isn’t a merchant. If a merchant does not envy, they become complacent. Fear and dread cause a merchant to tread prudently, while greed prompts them to take steps forward. However, Mangum Jeonju also knew one thing. Without conviction and capability, having all these is fruitless. One would be no merchant but a beast feeding greedily at the trough. “This third trial will be the final assessment of your abilities.” The empire he had built over a lifetime. Mangum Jeonju announced that today’s trial would be the last test for selecting his successor. “The last trial?” “Father! What do you mean by the last trial?” Having completed two trials already, Jang Noya’s grandchildren and daughters knew all too well who was ahead in the competition. Eyes filled with jealousy and envy were pinned on one man, but the black-haired man merely shrugged off the attention, pretending it was nothing. Unable to do much more, Jang Noya’s daughters grimaced and directed their pleas to their father. “How can you determine a successor with just three trials? It should be five, if not ten!” “That’s right, Father!” Jang Noya addressed his agitated daughters and grandchildren with a calm voice. “Do you think something that couldn’t be proven in three trials would become obvious with ten?” “……” “If you feel lacking, strive fiercely until the end. Do so with resolve to prove yourselves.” Jang Noya’s gaze turned to the six candidates. The grandchildren were visibly unsettled by Mangum Jeonju’s words. Only the young man with black hair, who claimed he was always resolved, responded with a gaze of steadfast determination. Mangum Jeonju chuckled silently. Did he have confidence? Was he thinking it was almost over? It didn’t matter. He had no intention of making this last trial trivial. As the room grew quiet again, Mangum Jeonju turned his gaze to his grandchildren. "What was the first trial I assigned to you?" "It was establishing a business." Jang Noya nodded, eyeing his grandchildren like a grandfather imparting life lessons. “Money, when hoarded, tends to rot. What use is there in piling up wealth that cannot be consumed? Even a farmer whose granaries are full after a bountiful harvest knows to plant his seeds come spring and reap the yield by autumn. So, what should you do with money you cannot immediately use?” “We must invest it in business.” Among the six candidates who passed the first trial, none were unaware of this fact. “Exactly. A merchant must cast their wealth into the world to gather returns. The first trial was to evaluate whether you were capable of achieving yields.” A creature that only covets rotting money all its life is unfit to be an heir. Jang Noya, although not completely satisfied with the results of the first trial, selected six individuals from the candidates. “What was the second trial I bestowed upon you?” “It was debt collection.” “Correct. Among merchants, I am a trader of war. Money must be lent to others, and naturally, when money is lent, it must be returned. Problems are bound to arise in this process.” For the second trial, Mangum Jeonju presented them with ledgers where such issues had emerged. “…….” “Would you allow the yield you’ve toiled over in business to be scattered into the void, for sparrows to feast upon? Would you simply let wolves and locusts devour your wealth just because it’s significant?” “We cannot allow that to happen.” “I evaluated you to see if you could bow down and harvest the yields amidst muck and insects.” Business is not a paved road. It is not a well-tilled field. No matter how cautious one might be, there will inevitably be a time when one must wade into the mire. A single misjudgment can cost you everything. And recovering from a mistake requires immense effort. A true businessperson must endure hardship to protect their enterprise. So, even if you fail the trial, gain experience from it. Mangum Jeonju’s trials were both tests and educational opportunities for his grandchildren. “Now I will give you your final trial. Chong Kwan, bring them here.” And now it was time for their final lesson. “Yes. I’ll place them before the young masters.” Six cylindrical packages were placed in front of each candidate for the succession. “Everyone step forward and take one.” “Grandfather, do we have to choose again this time?” Jang Noya shook his head at his grandson’s question as he hesitated. “The contents are identical, so there is no need for indecision. Take it and open it.” The candidates stepped forward one by one and took a cylinder. Inside, they found something unexpected. "Promissory notes?" "Isn’t this a promissory note?" "It's much more than what we received for the first trial!" Within the cylinders were promissory notes, containing much more money compared to what they'd started with during the first trial for setting up business. "The promissory note is your final trial." Mangum Jeonju calmly announced the nature of the final test. "A promissory note is the test? What must we do with it?" "Increase it." The answer was straightforward. "Pardon?" "Increase that money." "Are you telling us to start another business?" "I’ve already confirmed that you can earn returns. There’s no need to repeat the same trial." "Then what are we supposed to do?" All candidates looked puzzled, awaiting Mangum Jeonju's next words. "Loan it." “……!” "You have indeed learned to recognize good business prospects, understanding how challenging business can be. You’ve realized how difficult it is to recover loans given to others. Hence, from here on, you will know how careful one must be in lending money to others, and just how challenging managing it can be." Business. Debt Collection. Lending. These are the three pillars that allowed the trading firm to grow from its humble beginnings into the largest lender in Hubei Province. This was Mangum Jeonju’s lifelong endeavor and secret. A youth full of ambition and talent, now with snowy white hair, he poses the challenge: “Now, try lending.” Can you do it like I did? Will you carry on my legacy? “Are you telling us to issue loans?” "Bring it back doubled. In fifteen days, the results of all these trials will be announced." With overwhelming ease, Mangum Jeonju’s words sent both daughters and grandchildren reeling from their seats in shock. “Grandfather!” “Father!” “How are we supposed to double this large sum in just fifteen days?” “Father! Even the most notorious moneylenders only charge half interest a month! Doubling it in fifteen days is impossible!” "Grandfather, surely you mean to give us a few months at least?" "This is too pressing." Even if proving capability is crucial, doubling it? And in just fifteen days? It's unthinkable. They sought to persuade grandfather to reconsider the terms of the trial. The glances from grandchildren and daughters implored Mangum Jeonju. “No.” Mangum Jeonju’s reply did not meet their hopes. “What?” “In fifteen days, the heir will be determined.” “What? Then when must we deliver it?” Determine the successor in fifteen days? What on earth was he saying? While everyone else wore confounded expressions, one man with black hair realized the deeper meaning behind what Jang Noya just said. The contents were identical. The challenge was the same for everyone. Which meant— “It’s first come, first served.” This, too, was a trial of impossible difficulty.