740 - The Outcast Writer of a Martial Arts Visual Novel

Chapter 740 of the Web Novel "Barbarian Writer of Wuxia and Romance" > Northern Rabbit - Web Novel Archive "Is it true that Jin Yeom Bang truly focused on a single business right after your father's time?" A fleeting suspicion in his mind gave rise to a new question. "That's correct. Initially, as long as it was related to dyes, he would take on anything. But when he focused solely on dyeing, the business flourished." Just as expected. "And the head of the family has no ailments?" "Nothing major aside from a bit of a sore back lately." Although the head of the family rubbed his back and groaned, he seemed to have no significant health issues. "I see." "Do you have any particular insights?" A detective is one who finds the given pieces and assembles them. Now, all the necessary pieces were ready. The information he knew and the ones he reconfirmed, along with fragments of new suspicion. As he fit the puzzle together and stepped back, one beautiful piece of art emerged. "Could it be that rather than feeling fated with Ban Hwabaek, your grandfather passed down a family motto?" "A family motto?" I turned to the bewildered family head and brought up a story I had heard from him previously. "A journey towards a single goal. When he handed down the sunflower painting, he must have said it. Unlike himself, he wished for his healthy children to look at the heirloom and succeed even after he had passed." Like a sunflower that grows looking up to the sky, pursue a lifelong dream with perseverance. The grandfather had certainly said something like that while passing down the heirloom. "That old geezer, did?" "It wouldn't matter if one day the descendants find out it's a forgery. The true intent your grandfather placed in the heirloom will not vanish. The genuine piece should stay in the treasury, while the forgery hangs on the descendants' office walls, which might actually be better." An heirloom doesn't need to be an exceptional piece. As long as it carries the heart of one's ancestors, it can be called a true heirloom. "Haha! Isn't that interpreting a dream too kindly! The old man might have been swindled!" "That could be true, but perhaps your father later gave up numerous businesses to focus only on dyeing for the same reason?" "If it’s about my late father… that could be possible." Children carry their father's last words engraved in their hearts throughout their lives. The family head seemed surprised at the realization he hadn’t made himself. "It’s better to believe it in that way, isn't it?" Since the truth from the late grandfather cannot be heard directly. The head of the family looked wistfully at the painting, the heirloom of the family, albeit a forgery. "What your grandfather left behind wasn’t just an heirloom but a family motto..." "......." No matter how one looks at it, the painting seems genuine. Although considered a forgery, the beauty of the painting doesn't seem diminished. It’s the same with what I did. Whether it's true or false, I don't know. All I can do is assemble a beautiful picture with the pieces I've uncovered. What the grandfather left was not just a mere forgery but a family motto for the descendants. "The family motto of my grandfather should now adorn my office, not the treasury." Understanding it was the duty of the descendant who received the painting. —— "You've done truly well! Uncovering the criminal and even retrieving the family heirloom. I will immediately send the commander to the front line to keep my promise." "Thank you." New VIP customers are always welcome. "No need for thanks. I'm counting on you in the future as well. I think it's time I haven't done in a while – offering a drink at my grandfather's shrine." "Would it be alright if I tour the mansion for a bit before I leave?" I wanted to head back right after resolving the case, but there was a curiosity I wanted to resolve. "Were you always interested in dyes?" The family head asked curiously. "It's often necessary to discern unusual stains." "That's right! I heard from the commander! The sight of dye materials drying would surely be magnificent. Feel free to roam around!" I greeted the family head and turned away. Walking through the mansion, I saw a multitude of materials used for dyes spread before my eyes: various plants, insects, animal parts, and even minerals. While it was a heap of fascinating materials, there was something else that truly piqued my interest. Between the mansion and the side building. I approached a man holding his stomach even as he exited the side building. "Uuuuuuuh!" "Your stomachaches will worsen as time goes on." "Who... Detective?!" The surprised eyes looking at me belonged to the second son of Jin Yeom Bang. "If you don’t mind, shall we step inside for a moment?" "I heard you found our family heirloom. As the second son of the family, I wanted to express my gratitude..." I didn’t come here to receive gratitude. I waved my hand and opened my mouth to speak to the pale second son suffering from stomach pains. "Your pale complexion, abdominal pain, constipation, and a family history of short lifespans – I almost missed it." "I don't know what you mean." "I heard that your grandfather suffered from a similar illness. Haven't you?" "Yes, you know well. It's hereditary in our family." I smiled at the second son’s answer and held up a piece. The beautifully created picture from combining clues. But, though pleasant to the eye, the painting’s pieces remained a forgery. I slowly turned them over. "It’s not genetic but an occupational disease." To transform the forgery into a genuine article. "Occupational disease?" "I heard that unlike now, Jin Yeom Bang used to deal with pigments for oil paints, not just dyes." "Yes, the pigment didn't leave much profit, so he focused solely on paints. But what does that have to do with my illness?" The head of the family’s grandfather felt a kinship with Vincent van Gogh. I raised the piece I had deliberately ignored. You might wonder how he could share kinship with such a great artist, but it was a matter of course. "The issue lies in the lead within the pigments." Both men suffered from lead poisoning. "Are you referring to the lead that makes whites stand out?" "To achieve the level of whiteness desirable to painters, lead must necessarily be mixed into the pigment. The longer the exposure to lead, the more digestive issues, vision problems, and, with a substantial amount of exposure, even mental disorders may ensue." "I've heard that my great-grandfather had quite the eccentric personality." Vincent van Gogh, worn from poverty and hunger, was driven to the point of consuming paint laced with lead. Naturally, he would have suffered from symptoms of lead poisoning. Jin Yeom Bang’s grandfather, who also mass-produced pigments, must have experienced similar symptoms as Van Gogh. The mention of 'kinship' called these facts to mind. The encrypted sequence: UlFRblVJeEt0R01oWGZFZXFXMGFSOThtY1czS0IzYTBqZE5VQnNZMzdiNlcrZ1hrbk1pSnYzYm05WHUvVTBNdQ "As they stopped producing paint starting with my father’s generation, the reason to use lead vanished, and thus did the illness perceived as hereditary. Yet, an oddity remains." Without exposure to lead, symptoms of lead poisoning should not occur. This is why the head of the Jin Yeom Bang family is healthy, but a problem arises. "What is it?" A piece that seemed unrelated was revealed slowly to the second son. "Why does the second son suffer from the same symptoms as the eccentric grandfather?" "Well, that's…" "Your father mentioned that the second son neglects his studies to focus solely on his hobbies. Yet certain hobbies, when mastered, can cause one to fall ill." "......" Jin Yeom Bang no longer produces pigments. However, the second son is showing early symptoms of lead poisoning. What conclusion might arise if I piece together the fragment I hold? "You must be quite skilled at painting. Say, enough to forge a masterpiece of a great artist." The grandfather’s painting was genuine. Yet, a descendant who had crafted a forgery stood right before me. "Are you implying that I’m the culprit?" If you wish to deny it, try controlling your expression—your eyes are trembling. I shook my head with a calm demeanor. "No, I've found the culprit. What I'm doing now isn't deduction; it's a game." "A game, not a deduction?" I didn’t come to apprehend anyone. I simply came to piece the puzzle together. Sitting in a chair in the room, I slowly gathered the remaining fragments. "It's an interesting game of imagination. There’s a man so immersed in painting he visits the sunflowers daily. One day, a thunderous announcement is made that the family’s heirloom will be sold." "As a child, I didn't know of this, but!" "There’s no need to defend yourself. This is just make-believe. The man, unable to bear seeing the family’s heirloom pass to another, devises a scheme. He's seen the painting since he could call the figures on it 'mom' and 'dad'. He decides to replicate it, a painting so engrained he could visualize it with his eyes closed." "……." With talent, passion, and love, a masterwork was achieved, even if it was a forgery; it wasn't an uncommon result. "I'm unaware of the struggles involved, but the painting is completed to the point he himself is deceived by it. The next steps were likely easier. Who could imagine that the young master, who visits the painting daily, would swap it out?" There’s no need to sneak into the treasury. Simply switch the paintings with confidence. "It’s preposterous." Your voice is trembling. You’re not very good at lying. "The issue arises elsewhere. Coincidentally, a guard with ill intentions overhears the sale price of the sunflower painting during the same period. Perhaps greed takes over? No matter, it works out better if the painting disappears." "……." It’s preferable if the painting vanishes. After all, the original is in his possession. "The problem is the return of the painting marked as a forgery now. Will the father suspect the second son?" "I…I….." He stole the family’s heirloom. Even the most forgiving father wouldn’t easily overlook such a situation. Plus, with a forgery involved, divulging the truth would certainly lead to suspecting his motives. I looked into the eyes of the trembling second son and revealed a story unbeknownst to him. "That’s why I insisted it was a forgery from the start." "……!" I gestured for silence with a finger pressed to my lips toward the startled second son. "I’ll keep your secret." "You mean, you won't tell my father?" "Provided you meet my condition." The case was resolved. The family heirloom was a forgery from the start, yet imbued with the grandfather’s grand intention. Why discard a beautifully crafted forgery? What I sought was the value of the truth that didn’t need to be revealed. "Is it money you want?" Not merely to gain money, I'd intentionally left some pieces unconnected, crafting a visually pleasing picture. "Surpass your brother." "What did you just say?" "Become the head of the family. If you'd prefer to live longer, start taking Korean Red Ginseng today. And seize this chance while your ne'er-do-well brother fails to pull himself together." "You're suggesting I become the family head? But I…." "You’re someone who might become my friend." "……!" "I'll give you ten years." Sufficient time to earn the title of the young master. "Was this all for business?" Toward the faint hostility, I leisurely shook my head. "Business is a matter to discuss with your father. I’m simply interested in maintaining long-term, cordial relations with my business partners." "……." I am merely a half-baked detective and a merchant. Though I am fond of unraveling the truth, I also know how to utilize a grasped truth in other ways. By holding onto a person's weakness and putting it on the scales: I will feign ignorance though I know everything. I will secure what is most precious to you. It’s not a grand return that I desire. Yet, neither do I seek an easily fading reward like money. Thus, "If successful, our secret remains entombed with us." Promise me loyalty. Even when the day comes when I leave the Honam region, should you continue to be the pillar of my business, I shall gladly invest in you. What's your decision? "……May I call you Kang?" It was a gratifying transaction.