682 - The Outcast Writer of a Martial Arts Visual Novel

"The Lich King?" Gilsan Yi asked in confusion, but with the dead rising in the frozen winter dock, it wasn't the most pressing issue at hand. "Look closely at the ship. There aren't any skeletons or strange helmets and swords, right?" "No, nothing like that." Gilsan Yi strained his eyes to look as well, finding nothing particularly out of the ordinary. "Right, right... I barely managed to protect it." Un Yeop, known as the "Lich King," was among the top ten masters in the world. Was it really okay to attach such a playful nickname to someone of his stature, a former master martial artist? Even though it was just a brief setup, how could one resist sending feedback? "Did you perhaps mistake him for someone else? I've never heard the nickname Lich King before." "Yes, Gilsan. There's no such thing as an eternal king." The Lich King, who would have made many tremble in numerous ways, was gone, leaving only Si Wang on this land. Was it because "Lee" in Korean sounds like a play on the English "Lich" that the author gave him such a nickname? No need to insult the original writer, and fret not about Si Wang being an undead. Right. Si Wang is a fitting nickname with a martial arts flair. Hooray for traditional nicknames! "Did the sight of the dead rising surprise you? You seem a bit unusual... " I'm fine. There's no need to look at me with such suspicion. Hello, Gilsan. It's been a while. Wow, sir, the world is so bright. I feel like someone returning from another world. "Sir, Si Wang is approaching us. What should we do?" Finally, Si Wang descended from the ship. "Let him come. Si Wang must be famished." "What?" "He seems to have lost it. Un Yeop, summon a physician." Gilsan Yi, frowning with concern, glanced at the Vice-chief. "I told you, I'm fine." "...I'll inform the restaurants to prepare quickly." Gilsan Yi, your doubt is causing even the Vice-chief to be suspicious. --- "Is he from the Mangum Battlefield?" A white-haired middle-aged man, leading warriors—not humans, but jiangshi—across the frozen ground, approached us. Though they weren't dressed like skeletons and didn't have a ghostly pallor, their presence was intimidating. With pronounced cheekbones, a thin and expressionless face like one eroded by time, I momentarily forgot to introduce myself. "Honored Si Wang, it's an honor to meet you. I am..." "The Golden Ghost?" I hurriedly regained my composure to introduce myself, but Si Wang seemed uninterested, searching for someone instead. "Golden Ghost...?" "That's the youthful nickname of the Mangum Master." How did someone live to earn the moniker of a money ghost in their youth? Is the reason the arena operated by the Zhang clan isn't called their name, but Mangum Battlefield, that nickname? Sometimes I have an idle curiosity about the Mangum Master's youthful stories but prefer not to know. "I heard he drank poison and was on the brink of death. Have you already held the funeral?" "He woke up recently." "He woke up?" Si Wang's brow furrowed. Was he visiting before death, hoping to pay his respects? "Yes, the Mangum Master is waiting for you." "Then you must be the successor he mentioned." Si Wang asked, as if questioning why I was the one giving all the answers on behalf of everyone. I was about to introduce myself properly when he interrupted, leaving me to once more present myself to Si Wang. "He must have mentioned me. I am Kang Yoon Ho, currently succeeding the Mangum Battlefield." You know, Lich King. "Black hair, you say? Did he secretly take another wife in his later years?" A child from a latter marriage? How could someone with black hair become the successor? It was almost like listening to an old British gentleman from the colonial era, extending courteous yet disparaging comments. "Master Kang Yoon Ho is the fiancé of Jegal Hyang, the granddaughter of the Mangum Master." Vice-chief Jeon Eun Yeop couldn't help but intervene. "A son-in-law of the Jegal family?" A flicker of surprise flashed in Si Wang's eyes. "You're probably tired from your journey, let us escort you." Ah, so that's why titles are important. While I'm proficient in mercantile arts, enough to pass the Mangum Battlefield test, with decent writing skills and experience as a constable, explaining all that takes too long and comes off as pompous. On the other hand, saying I'm the son-in-law of the Jegal family head quickly closes the conversation and leaves a lasting impression. Even being the fiancé of the cherished youngest daughter doesn't take long to explain. Suppressing a proud shrug, I pointed towards the prepared carriage. "Well..." "Honored Si Wang?" Si Wang didn't seem inclined to move. Why is he staring at the jiangshi? Should I have prepared a carriage for them too? "I'm altering the schedule." "What do you mean?" "Kang Yoon Ho, was it? I need a person." "Excuse me?" "Others are cumbersome. Just come with me alone." It was an unexpectedly unsettling statement that single-handedly decided my immediate plans. --- I should've known from when they said he had an unpredictable personality. Even the notorious Mangum Master has a notorious temperament, and that should've been enough of a clue. "Honored elder." I called out to the white-haired martial artist who had been walking in silence. "..." "Honored Si Wang, we've been walking for half a day. Where exactly are we going?" We'd long since left the city of Mu. Though asked to follow him at dawn, the sun had already dipped westward. The no-show at all three restaurants and even at the place where Madam Gi Moon was waiting. "We're almost there." "You said the same thing when the sun was high in the sky." Si Wang glared at me. Whenever a top master knits their brows, it's frankly terrifying. Really terrifying. Just the feeling of his annoyance is enough to make my heart plummet. "..." Eventually, Si Wang halted his steps. "You don't need to stop. Just enlightening me about the destination could help me find a quicker route." I managed to make one of the top masters halt his steps. Cold sweat trickled down my back. What do I say now? We're even climbing mountains at this point. If we were just walking along a mountain path for a reason, that would be one thing. But what exactly are we searching for in these densely wooded mountains? If I voice that, I might become a black-haired jiangshi myself. "This spot will do." "Excuse me?" "Dig." I looked at the ground Si Wang pointed to and took a moment to comprehend his words. "Dig into the frozen ground in the middle of winter?" Even if I rally the frozen warriors of the earth, the ground's too hard to break. It's like it’s resisting. Why me? Why do I have to do it? "Hmm." "Why head towards the trees... huh?!" The tree fell. It wasn't just an ordinary tree; it was a whopping great tree. It wasn't cut down with a sword or an axe. The tree fell from the mere slice of Si Wang's hand. He absent-mindedly crafted wooden planks cleaner than any carpenter would, then quickly turned the wood into shape with a few knocks. "Here." A wooden spade, created with the energy of his fists, was casually tossed my way. "Wow! Of course, respected elder, it’s only right I do the digging. After all, what else does a young man have if not strength? Here, is this the right place?" Why do I have to dig? That thought didn't even have time to form in my mind. "Dig deep enough for your waist to fit." "Of course! Let me show you the technique honed in military construction! Oh?!" 一 Crack! The spade broke. My overwhelming respect for the esteemed Si Wang was too much for the spade to handle. "......" Elder Si Wang, why are you approaching me? I have no desire to become a human spade. "Haha! The ground is just too frozen; it can't be helped. Even an iron stake won't pierce this earth! Elder? Umm, elder?" 一 Boom! Jin-gak, a foundational martial arts technique involving stomping the ground. I realized why the word 'Jin' in Jin-gak uses the character for 'thunder' (震). Accompanied by a thunderous sound that shook the entire mountain, the earth before me was instantly overturned. "Dig again." Startled birds took to the sky. I, looking bewildered like a new recruit startled by gunfire, lifted the spade. --- "So you came here to bury the jiangshi." When he gestured for me to climb into the grave, my heart nearly stopped. Do you have a personal vendetta with the Mangum Master? While I understand, I'm not related to him by blood in any way. Without a moment to concoct any desperate excuses, three out of the seven jiangshi that accompanied us were placed in the grave I dug. "They’ll be content resting on their native mountain." Si Wang nodded with satisfaction at the sunlit slopes where the jiangshi were buried. While jiangshi are commonly depicted as martial weapons, their original purpose was to conveniently transport corpses. Knowing the Mangum Master’s condition, perhaps Si Wang came first to lay these jiangshi to rest. "Shouldn't there be a coffin? Wild animals might dig them up." "There's no one here to make such arrangements. Be grateful they get to decompose in their homeland." With a hint of annoyance, Si Wang pulled a piece of paper from his coat, igniting it with flames that emerged inexplicably from his hand. "Sammae Jinhwa?!" Unbelievable. It's a technique that requires profound inner energy and a high level of martial prowess. Even seasoned practitioners rarely attempt it. Witnessing it first-hand is astounding. "It's just a parlor trick. Let's go." With a simple flick, he discarded the burning paper and turned away. Typical of the top ten masters. Calling it nothing special makes him seem truly like a transcendent adept. I grabbed the spade and followed behind elder Si Wang. "Elder Si Wang, it's getting late. We should stop by that village inn for a meal. I've brought enough travel funds." The sun was beginning to set. I pointed towards the village in the distance. "You speak well of dining." There was a smirk in Si Wang’s voice. Was he referring to the challenge of entering a guesthouse with these jiangshi? "Perhaps we could seek their understanding..." It might not be so bad. People don't necessarily know they're jiangshi, after all. Though jiangshi aren’t frequently seen in the northern regions. While Si Wang scoffed, he made no effort to repel my suggestion, walking with me towards the village outskirts. "Aaaah! Walking corpses!" "Eeeeek!" Not even at the inn, pandemonium broke out at the village entrace. "They don't bite. Our jiangshi are harmless." "R-run!!!" "Ah..." I should have known it wouldn’t go over well. "Did you really think we could enter the village?" I felt as if I had been audacious enough to crash a pub with a friend's recommendation, only to be turned away at the door. Well aware of my disappointed spirit, not one of my friends could claim they’d never been turned away at the gate. "Let's head to the next destination." --- "Let’s stay the night here." We arrived at an abandoned shrine late at night. There were holes in the windows and the doors didn’t shut properly, but it was a place that blocked the biting winter wind. Out on a supposed guest reception, and this is the kind of hardship I endure. ‘Think of it as accommodating a unique VIP.’ Jin Ju-on family. It's a name every martial arts novel reader has heard at least once. ‘There must be a reason he dragged me, the successor of the Mangum Battlefield, along.’ It’s equivalent to accompanying a former head of a conglomerate, venturing out on a whim. 一 As a renowned figure in martial arts, he could aid your future expansions. You must treat him with utmost respect. The top ten masters. Under normal circumstances, establishing a connection with such a master is rare. This relationship can significantly benefit my future, not something to be squandered. "Elder Si Wang, about the jiangshi." I cautiously spoke while glancing at the jiangshi that had followed us into the shrine. Perhaps it was because of the meticulous preservation process. While it was unsettling due to their nature, they weren’t terrifyingly grotesque to behold. Though sharing a sleeping space with corpses was a different matter altogether. "Just in case. It's better to leave them inside." Before I even hinted at my thoughts, Si Wang, seeming to anticipate the suggestion, promptly rejected it. What unforeseen event could possibly happen? Surely, they won't start moving on their own, right? "Perhaps..." "Are you scared?" Elder Si Wang, your lips curled up ever so slightly. Is it because of our shared experience that there's a growing sense of camaraderie? The shrine was a desolate place where ghosts were expected to roam. But considering we were already accompanied by spirits, it didn’t seem all that frightening. Besides, during my travels in the martial world, an abandoned shrine was sometimes a palace compared to other shelters. That's not quite it. "Can't we leave the jiangshi near the open spots? They're corpses, so the cold air shouldn't be an issue." "......" Elder, you're getting on in years. You should be careful not to catch a cold.