654 - The Outcast Writer of a Martial Arts Visual Novel

The wall broke. "The Tang family's poison is useless against the Dok-in. What can we possibly do?" "We're useless. Just bring some popcorn. Tang Pae." While this was a great boon for the Tang family, for the martial artists who had to subdue Tang Hwa-rin without harming her, it was the worst possible news. There were even more complications. "Ugh! My stomach! Suddenly!" "How could you not know until it came to Chill Steps?" Chill Steps (七步糞). As expected, a Dok-in. Who would have thought the martial artists of the Tang family would fall for the same prank poison they used for their mischief. Should they stop Tang Hwa-rin, or should they turn away? Was it a matter of pride as a martial artist or dignity as a human being? The martial artists of the Tang family stood at a crossroads. Facing a demon head, no one would back down. But the opponent was Tang Hwa-rin, enraged by a lover's betrayal. It's not like she's going to kill someone. She's just going to see her fiancé. The uncontrollable reaction boiling in their stomach tested human dignity, constantly challenging the martial artists' patience. "Move out of the waaaaay!" "There's someone inside!" "Ugh! Please! Open the lavatory door! Can't two people share if they work together?!" "If you're good, it can fit three!" In the end, the minimal barrier to maintaining a martial artist's pride collapsed effortlessly. "Just finish up quickly and come out!" "I-I can't stop!" "Constipation cured after ten days!" "No! This can't be happening! Not at this age!" "Life can bring crises even after thirty, you know." "Don't say such things leisurely inside a lavatory!!!" Quick decisions and hesitation split the outcomes. "I'll give 1 gold to whoever comes out first!" "That kind of money can’t protect human dignity! Go find another lavatory!" Some attempted negotiations, but it was all in vain. "Argh! If I move now, it's going to be a golden road! You want to see the path laid in front of the lavatory?!" "The golden road, we’ll handle it. Please, go in!" "Alright! No?! Noooooo!" One must never let their guard down right before the finish line. The lament of the rash reverberated sorrowfully within the Tang family. The Chill Steps Incident. Afterwards, no one in the Tang family dared to mention it. ** The mind is clear. Hot yet cold. Tang Hwa-rin thought as she observed the dispersed encirclement. The wall had crumbled. The wall of anger that filled the room had crumbled. While the anger hadn’t vanished, she felt elevated as a person. Cool air was entering the once raging chest. A sliver of rationality was returning to her furious mind. 'I'll have to squeeze Yoon Ho to the fullest.' Though somewhat misdirected. She resolved to squeeze him so he wouldn’t think of other women. Though relationships between men and women were still difficult, she learned various methods for Yoon Ho's sake. Let's meet him first. She was about to step forward when a familiar voice reached her ears. "Stop!" It was Ui Gak-ju. Tang Mu-gi. "Move aside." "I understand your feelings. But first, calm your anger." "I'm going to meet Yoon Ho." "Ugh!" Tang Hwa-rin's voice was so resolute that even Ui Gak-ju faltered. It was a difficult situation. If it came to close combat, they'd have to withstand the Dok-in's poisonous aura. Yet, to subdue her, they needed to engage in close combat. Suppressing her from a distance was also challenging. She would easily dodge any half-hearted attempt, and to firmly suppress her, blood would inevitably be spilled. No wonder those scoundrels from the Demon Sect would go to any length to get their hands on a Dok-in. "If you don’t want to witness something unsightly, step aside, Ui Gak-ju." Tang Hwa-rin’s voice radiated confidence, and justly so. However, Tang Hwa-rin had overlooked one thing. "I said it's okay to fall, but I didn't say it was okay to burn." Confidence should always be tempered with caution against arrogance. "Huh?! What the...?" The voice from behind startled her, causing her to turn hurriedly, but it was already too late. "Cool off for a moment." "Ahhh!" The last thing Tang Hwa-rin saw before losing consciousness was the angry face of her master. "Dok Mu-hu!" "Aunt." Dok Mu-hu Tang Ok-ran couldn’t hide her anger as she glanced at Ui Gak-ju and the Tang family leader. "Everyone seems to know why my disciple suddenly behaved like this." "..." "Someone, start speaking." Dok Mu-hu's voice, full of fury, was as fierce as Tang Hwa-rin's anger. —— "I’ve told her to remain confined for now." Still recovering from smoothing over her disciple's mess, Dok Mu-hu returned to the family leader's residence. "You’ve had a tough time." "What on earth happened? She should be elated reading a lover's letter; why is she so enraged?" Recalling the earlier situation, Dok Mu-hu had to calm her pounding heart. Her disciple suddenly running amok like that. "It’s... because..." "Living with two women? Are you sure it’s not a groundless rumor?" Dok Mu-hu found it hard to believe the news that Ui Gak-ju and the Tang family leader relayed. Expecting a man to be faithful is laughable, but wasn't the person in question the famous Kang Yoon-ho? He had once risked his life for her disciple, and within half a year, he’s taken in women—two of them at that. "One is the runaway courtesan, they say." Ui Gak-ju continued, offering a bitter smile to Dok Mu-hu. "The runaway courtesan? Surely not because of her origins." The secret of his birth. Tang Ok-ran was well aware that her disciple's betrothed was the illegitimate child of the Tang family leader. "He initially only intended to protect her, but it seems affection developed. According to rumors, she is now called the hostess of the Joseon Guild, and is reportedly very skilled in domestic affairs." "An afflicted man, forcibly torn from his beloved, now has a woman to heal his wounds at his side." The situation's contours finally started to come into focus. How could such a coincidental mess occur? Tang Ok-ran furrowed her brow and rubbed her forehead. "Even if the whole world tells him to give this woman up, he must have thought he should protect her." A deep sigh escaped from Tang Baekho, the family leader's lips. "Family leader..." "How could it possibly be the boy's fault? It's the fault of an incompetent father." Every man has something he absolutely cannot give up in life. A boy determined to live differently from his father, how could he make the same choice as his father? He must have grown closer to the memory of his mother since an early age. Faced with love one day, the boy undoubtedly agonized over it. "Men are complicated... I get it. But wasn’t there another woman?" The runaway courtesan’s situation was understandable, but having two was strange. When Tang Ok-ran asked, the family leader replied with a slightly hesitant expression. "That is... it seems Mankeum Jeonju orchestrated something." Even Tang Baekho appeared half-convinced. "Orchestrated?" "I heard he arranged a marriage meeting with his granddaughter." "Wasn't Mankeum Jeonju a close friend of my disciple's grandfather...?" The leader wasn't joking. All they were hearing were unbelievable stories since earlier. "We need to assess the situation more thoroughly. So, as for now..." Although the family leader had received reports, he couldn't comprehend how the situation was unfolding from Infinite. The report from Infinite was just a straightforward account from an outsider's perspective. "Yes?" "When Hwa-rin calms down, could you inquire about the contents of the letters?" They needed the circumstances from the person involved. "That is a difficult request." "Please." —— "Jegal Segawa family?! Are you saying Kang Yoon-ho had a marriage meeting with a daughter from the Jegal Segawa family?" A few days later, a meeting was held following news from Infinite. "It went beyond a meeting. They even set up a household!" "What?! He set up a household with the Jegal Segawa family's youngest daughter?!" What a family the Jegal Segawa is. The tale was beyond belief. "Could it be that the secret about the Tang family's lineage leaked? Otherwise, how could such a valuable daughter marry a man with black hair..." "This story is hard to believe. Could it possibly be true?" "Word is, the meeting happened right after arriving in Infinite. Why is it only now, practically autumn, coming to light?" "That's..." "It's too absurd to be true, yet it seems to be." Tang Baekho acknowledged this bizarre truth to the elders and close aides gathered. Even though hard to accept, Tang Hwa-rin's anger confirmed its veracity. "It's said he was acknowledged by Mankeum Jeonju, and participated in the heir trial." "If they went as far as to place the daughter of the Jegal Segawa family next to him, it's as good as naming him an heir!" It's not just a love affair but a marriage meeting. The news plunged the situation further into enigma. "Kang Yoon-ho already has a fiancée and yet a marriage meeting! How could the Jegal Segawa family do this if they weren't treating our Tang family with contempt?!" "The current head of the Jegal Segawa, Jegal Geuk, is said to deeply cherish his family. It makes no sense that he'd marry off his youngest daughter, even to a man with black hair?" "It's nonsensical! This must be a false rumor! Isn't Mankeum Jeonju your disciple's grandfather's close friend? Why would he take away the one remaining granddaughter's suitor?" Even if the facts had come to light, there were still too many puzzling elements. Marrying off such a precious daughter from the Jegal Segawa to a man with black hair would cause a major uproar. Sending her to a man already engaged was unthinkable. Jegal Geuk has no reason to take such a reckless step unless he’s lost his mind. "Family leader, this is a bizarre issue to even consider. The lineage of Kang Yoon-ho as part of the Tang family is a secret, and he's not one to spill such information." "We should strictly reprimand the head of the Infinite branch of Seocheon Pyo-guk! It's certain they've raised a commotion over Kang Yoon-ho setting a household with a distant Jegal family member!" "There is no justification!" "Certainly..." Knowing of Kang Yoon-ho's exceptional talents and potential as an official is one thing. His inherent noble qualifications as a Po-khoe are evident. He possesses the most potent lineage of the dark-haired blood. Yet, it’s still insufficient. There must be more to this riddle. There's no way the Jegal Segawa family would orchestrate such events just for virtue alone. Until the fiancée appeared with a composed expression, that is. "Tang Hwa-rin?" "I'm sorry. I've caused trouble." Tang Hwa-rin repeatedly apologized to those gathered in the family leader's quarters. "Hmph. Since no one has been harmed, it's fine. But you said you know something?" All eyes turned to Tang Hwa-rin. What is it that Mankeum Jeonju knows? Does this girl know why things escalated this way? Tang Hwa-rin disclosed the secret only she knew within the Tang family. "Yoon-ho is Ho-pil. Grandfather Mankeum Jeonju knows." "What...?" "What, what did you say?!" "He knows all about Yoon-ho's prowess and his literary prospects." "..." A sudden silence enveloped the family leader's residence. "Hold on a moment... that means..." The brains of those in the Tang family began hurriedly churning. There was no way such an absurd event unfolded merely due to his talent. The mind itself seemed to stall, no matter how hard they thought. But. But if by chance. What if the Jegal Segawa family knew that Kang Yoon-ho was Ho-pil? The gears in their stalled thoughts began to align. It's not just that Mankeum Jeonju took an interest in Kang Yoon-ho's abilities. If the Jegal Segawa family is aware of his literary prowess... Then the conclusion of all this would be. "The Jegal Segawa family was after Ho-pil?"