708 - The Outcast Writer of a Martial Arts Visual Novel

He stakes his name. Even today, it's not an easy thing to do, but in times when living without disgracing the name given by one's parents and valuing reputation is more crucial, it becomes even harder. Why do so many martial artists live in Jianghu? Isn't it to make a name for themselves, to earn a humble nickname? Reputation is a lifelong accomplishment built upon the foundation of one's name. To stake one's name is to wager that very foundation. An unbelievable event unfolded at Mankeum Bookstore. "Really... the entire Elder Council of Jegal Sega praised Hoh Pil's new work?" "It's true! Go to Mankeum Bookstore and see for yourself. They say they've hung recommendations in this city and that!" People rushed to Mankeum Bookstore, finding the news hard to believe, and were left speechless by the sight that greeted them. "Jegal Seolrok. Whatever you imagine. Beyond that. - Elder Oh of Jegal Sega. Jegal On." "The moment you read the first page, you won't be able to put it down. - Elder Chil of Jegal Sega. Jegal Gun." "My goodness." "Is there a new recommendation put up?" Indeed, there was another recommendation put up, different from the one seen yesterday. This was not just an endorsement from martial arts masters. The entire Elder Council of Jegal Sega staked their names on it. Moreover, they were not currently active; they had ceded control to the head of the family and were merely offering advice from behind the scenes. For them to break their silence and directly engage in external activities meant there was a reason to break the silence. [Anyone with ties to us, or anyone wishing to connect with Jegal Sega, must read this novel.] It was as if the Elder Council of Jegal Sega, spanning the martial and government realms, had spoken directly. "What kind of novel could this be! That Jegal Sega is in an uproar." "I should inform the others immediately!" No wonder people were astounded. ** "It was a good call to bring back all the recommendations when I came from Jegal Sega." I quietly smiled at the reports pouring in. I suspected this would happen. We had already witnessed the impact of advertising with Dang Ga Pung Woon. Even the Dang Ga Pung Woon acknowledged by Sichuan Dang Ga had brought in an overwhelming number of guests when word spread. How could it not, with Jegal Sega's Elder Council praising Jegal Seolrok? "Is this alright, though?" Could it be because we used the Elder Council's name? Gilsan asked with concern. "It's alright. It's alright! They said we could use the recommendations as much as we want. It's not like they said to only use it for family-only promotions." "I figured there was a reason they wanted it plastered everywhere." "Even the Elder Council can't resist Jegal Seolrok. We must keep leveraging this." The Elder Council likely had an inkling. Even if they didn't, it didn't matter. Elders, think carefully. I'm the only one who can use Jegal Seolrok. I'll lay low for now. "Kang Gong Ja, the response is explosive indeed. But it doesn't completely quell the fundamental dissatisfaction with the sequel." "I am aware." We succeeded in drawing attention to Jegal Seolrok. However, the unrest was only temporarily calmed; the dissatisfaction hadn't disappeared. "What do you plan to do? Are you going to break through head-on with Jegal Sega's prestige? It might quiet the controversy if they just read it." I shook my head slowly at Gilsan’s words. Focusing attention on a new work and calming dissatisfaction with ongoing series are separate matters. "We've set the groundwork. Now we must appease the angry public." "How do you plan to do that?" "What I do best." It was time for the loyal readers of Dang Ga Pung Woon and Pung Woon Hyub Gaek to nod in agreement. ** TGloWlBtWUkwZWhUWHNtSC9RL1BOa0xYYTFMK3hMMXZJWGx2LzcvNDZXUUNmdkZEZEVGNUVKeGdwTURTWGwyaw "Hwang Seo Saeng, you’ve heard about Hoh Pil's new work, haven't you?" A cheeky employee from Daseo-gak approached Hwang Seo Saeng, whose brow was furrowed. "Are you talking about Jegal Sega recommending Hoh Pil's novel? What does that matter? The fourth volume of Dang Ga Pung Woon still isn't out." Hwang Seo Saeng replied curtly. Already there were deserters from the collective action due to Jegal Seolrok's recommended ripple effect. Even now, he had to rally the members' spirits. While Hwang Seo Saeng was steeling himself, from afar in Ak-yang, a solitary fang opened its mouth quietly toward the dissatisfied factions. "You heard about Hoh Pil's close friend getting married?" "What are you saying? Are you talking about Kang Jeom Jang?" "Exactly! Don't be shocked! The woman engaged to Kang Jeom Jang is reportedly Jegal Sega's youngest daughter!" "What...? That's absurd!" No wonder Hwang Seo Saeng was taken aback. The cohabitation of Kang Yoon Ho had been a secret, and the story could only be spoken aloud once the marriage was sanctioned. Even the attentive Daseo-gak members had never heard this rumor about Kang Yoon Ho. "It's true. It seems Kang Jeom Jang and the youngest daughter of Jegal Sega are utterly inseparable." "Explain more! Are you telling me our black-haired shop manager is marrying a jewel of Jegal Sega?" If they say the most prestigious martial family in Hubei province, it's definitely Jegal Sega. The union between Jegal Sega's youngest daughter and the black-haired individual drew everyone's attention in an instant. "Who is Kang Jeom Jang? Isn't he a man with exceptional talent in commerce and a keen eye for recognizing people? Yet, when he tried to get married, Jegal Sega seemed to fall short." "Well, there was probably the obstacle of the black hair." Naturally. All the gathered members of Daseo-gak nodded in sympathy. Was Jegal Sega an average family? Even a family with a minor name might disdain black hair. How could black hair become a son-in-law of Jegal Sega? "That's when Hoh Pil stepped in!" There was no one Jegal Sega wouldn't covet if not for him. "Hoh Pil, you say? How?" "The acceptance of my friend into Jegal Sega as family equates to gaining me as well. The novel 'Jegal Seolrok' was presented with confidence." People naturally cheer for the underdog's story. They find it even easier to immerse themselves in tales of the underdog's success. The love story between the black-haired and Jegal Sega's cherished daughter, the friendship with a friend for whom one would lay down their life, and the high-status family that opposed the marriage. "So, what happened next?" At this moment, the members of Daseo-hwe were more engrossed in the story of Kang Yoon Ho than in Hoh Pil's novel. "Supposedly, the Jegal Sega, upon reading 'Jegal Seolrok', wept and then permitted the marriage between Hoh Pil’s friend, Kang Yoon Ho, and their youngest daughter." "My word!!!" The eyes of Daseo-hwe's members could not contain their amazement, now glowing with admiration. "To think that Hoh Pil wrote this book as a wedding gift for his friend!" "It's not the sole reason for granting the marriage, but it indicates just how exceptional this novel is." "Would Kang Jeom Jang have become the successor to Mankeumjeong without a significant contribution? It certainly played a big role!" Endorsements carrying the names of renowned figures have a tremendous promotional impact. However, a love story surpassing even such publicity holds an alluring power over people. 'The book that made a black-haired man the son-in-law of Jegal Sega.' How could this not spark interest? [The plan is to sway public opinion. Spread my story at Daseo-gak.] People will voluntarily offer their heads to the serpent’s maw. It was natural for the black-hair successor to be confident. "We must not relent!" "Hwang Seo Saeng?" Of course, there were those who gritted their teeth in resistance. "If we continue to condone the act of releasing new works without publishing the sequels, we will never see the conclusion of the novels we've been waiting for! Now is the time to stand firm and act collectively!" He wanted to. To immediately read 'Jegal Seolrok,' and be amazed just like the people of Jegal Sega. Hwang Seo Saeng barely contained his craving. But even this was part of Kang Yoon Ho's scheme. [If they resist, plant the fang and end it.] "It's a stand-alone work." This last reason for resistance was also dismantled. Kang Yoon Ho's fang struck the dissenters. "What...? What do you mean?" "Wasn't it mentioned as a wedding congratulatory gift? There's no reason to continuously celebrate a wedding." "Does this mean it's complete in one volume?" "More than just one volume, it implies there isn't a '1' anywhere. It's a standalone work with a sense of completion. Isn't this usually the standard for most novels?" This doesn't mean there are no future works, but the number '1' is absent. It's not a conclusion, but a work with a sense of completion. The nuance is subtly different, but it sounds similar. "So it's not that Hoh Pil stopped serializing 'Dang Ga Pung Woon' and 'Pung Woon Hyub Gaek' to write something else?" "Haha! There's no way Hoh Pil would do that! It's simply a collective celebration for a friend’s marriage, isn't it?" "Given the relationship between Hoh Pil and Kang Jeom Jang, that sounds reasonable, but..." It's not a deviation with a third work. It's merely a special gift for a friend. For a writer, giving such a gift isn't impossible. Like gifting a poem to a friend, a novel was given. It's a plausible story indeed. Especially if it's a standalone volume. "Then there's no reason to be upset." "Hmmm..." The heated emotions of Hwang Seo Saeng and the other Daseo-hwe members quickly subsided. "Let’s not make a fuss. Hoh Pil is simply making a gift for a friend available for other readers as well." "Indeed, it would be a waste not to share a novel praised by Jegal Sega." "Exactly! It's a story to momentarily quench the thirst for other novels! If it's a standalone, then there's no need to worry about other ongoing serializations." Standalone. It's just making the friend’s wedding gift accessible to avid readers as well. This noble pretext dug into the minds of the dissenters. This novel made a black-haired man the son-in-law of Jegal Sega and earned the glowing praise of Jegal Sega's Elder Council. Despite this, will you not read it? Will you still harbor discontent? Ultimately. "It seems we have greatly misunderstood Hoh Pil." All of Daseo-hwe's members had no choice but to put aside their intended outcry. ————— The release day of 'Jegal Seolrok' approached. "Why is this line so long?" "It seems even longer than it was for 'Dang Ga Pung Woon' and 'Pung Woon Hyub Gaek'!" "There are even people who reportedly lined up overnight, days in advance, not just the day before." "Really?" A novel praised by Jegal Sega. A book that played a crucial role in making a black-haired individual Jegal Sega's son-in-law. The word spread and spread, drawing a massive crowd to Mankeum Bookstore. "Weren't you supposed to take a day off today because of the ancestral rites?" "Oh! Senior! Didn't you say you're taking the day off because you felt suddenly ill?" "Well... Hahaha!" It wasn’t just Hoh Pil's fans lining up. Officials familiar with Jegal Sega’s reputation, martial artists with ties to the martial world – they all lined up at the mention of Jegal Sega. "Brother. Truly, there’s no '1' written anywhere!" "Indeed. I truly misunderstood Hoh Pil’s intentions." Hwang Seo Saeng spoke, cherishing the hard-to-acquire 'Jegal Seolrok.' "It’s too precious for only Jegal Sega to read, so he released it as a blessing to the world. I almost wrongly blamed Hoh Pil for not knowing this fact." "I'm just embarrassed, truly ashamed. How can a scholar act so rashly?" "It must be because of your extraordinary affection for Hoh Pil's writing." "Though I don’t know how outstanding this novel is, I hope it quenches my thirst for 'Dang Ga Pung Woon.'" Hwang Seo Saeng expressed his thoughts, gazing at the book absent a '1'. [Jegal Seolrok.] Hoh Pil's new work released after several months. What could be contained within it? Will it, like 'Dang Ga Pung Woon,' move a man’s heart? Will it hold insights into the martial world like 'Pung Woon Hyub Gaek'? Resolving his mind after the past few days, Hwang Seo Saeng finally opened the first page of Hoh Pil's new work, hoping it would satisfy the thirst left by 'Dang Ga Pung Woon.' [Seolrok. They call it Jegal Seolrok.] The unexpected content struck Hwang Seo Saeng like a bolt. "Sigh." A shocking entrance of Jegal Seolrok. Jegal Seolrok's eccentricities. Gripping incidents he couldn’t tear his eyes away from, and breathless mysteries unfolding. Just as Jegal Sega's recommendation suggested, from the very first page till the end, Hwang Seo Saeng found himself unable to put the book down, ultimately conceding to its brilliance. People would sing praises of yet another novel that stands shoulder to shoulder with Dang Ga Pung Woon and Pung Woon Hyub Gaek. And then. "Why is this a standalone!!!" Realizing that he had once again drunk from an endless ocean.