Chapter 252 - The Outcast Writer of a Martial Arts Visual Novel

“What do you mean, a courtesan? What nonsense is this?” So, this day has finally come. Starting with the request for Lim Ha-yeon’s arrest, then her nocturnal escapades, and the relocation to the print shop—so much time had already passed. Whether these guys were from Wuhan or Usan, it was about time they arrived. Without showing any hint of knowing, I addressed the warriors who clearly had nasty dispositions. “Her name is Lim Ha-yeon. She might be using a different name. She’s a beauty with pink hair and a voluptuous figure that stands out.” “Lim Ha-yeon?” “Is Ha-yeon a runaway courtesan?” This is the time to remain quiet. The employees, swayed by the detailed depiction, didn’t doubt it and started murmuring among themselves. Now I can’t just pretend not to know such a detailed description. “It seems we’re in the right place.” “Captain, the information we got shouldn't be wrong. Let’s capture her quickly and return. Tsk!” One particularly coarse-looking warrior, who seemed like he'd never even picked up a book, naturally spat a phlegm on the floor of Daseogak. “It seems there’s some misunderstanding. The Lim Ha-yeon I know is the daughter of a fabric shop owner.” I furrowed my brow slightly, giving the warrior a puzzled look as if I genuinely thought there was some misunderstanding. “That’s not for you to judge. Where is Lim Ha-yeon?” Respond politely when spoken to politely. But it seems too many guys with swords have removable manners. Then who judges me? I am the judge. I wanted to grab him by the collar but restrained myself for the sake of my establishment. “She was supposed to work today, but she didn’t show up.” “She didn’t show up?” “Yes. It was quite inconvenient because she suddenly didn’t come.” I stated calmly, like a store manager frustrated by an employee’s abrupt no-show. “You there! Is that true?” The warrior stared at me for a while, seemingly failing to find any trace of a lie, and raised his voice, directing the question to Ha-SoSo standing nearby. “Yes! It’s true!” Despite her fearful expression, Ha-SoSo nodded, having grasped the situation. Well done, SoSo. I’ll buy you lunch later. “I’m not sure if the person you’re looking for is the same as the one we know. She has been looking anxious recently, probably due to some family issue, I guess.” I added a supplementary explanation, deliberately opening up the possibility of her having run away. “Where does Lim Ha-yeon reside?” “I believe she stays at an inn.” Denial would be a rookie move. Let’s deceive them with outdated information. “We’ve already checked that inn. Do you know of any other place?” Quickly gathering the data spat out by these guys. They know she works at Daseogak. They know about the inn, but not the print shop. These warriors must have set off at least a fortnight ago. They’d have gotten the info from the place that requested it, and Director of the Yichang branch is on our side. It's safe to assume they didn't get any help with the intel. Thus, there's a high chance they’ve heard about Daseogak and Dang Family matters. We can be a bit more forceful. “I don’t know.” I said firmly, glaring at the warrior. Only a few employees at Daseogak know Ha-yeon is residing at the print shop. If I say I don’t know audibly enough for the employees to hear, everyone will understand the situation. The warrior stepped closer with a threatening expression, trying to intimidate me into revealing what they wanted. I’ve seen faces way scarier than yours. That face won’t threaten me at all. “Tsk. You there! Do you know where Lim Ha-yeon lives?!” Seeing no reaction from me, the warriors seemed to think getting the answer from me would be difficult and began questioning the other employees. “I don’t knooow!” “Hey! Do you know?” “I-I don’t know.” “What do you think you’re doing! Are you planning to cause a scene at Daseogak?” All the employees were quick-witted. I shouted angrily, mixing frustration and irritation, loud enough for regular customers to hear rather than just the intruding warriors. “What’s going on? These thugs causing a ruckus in Daseogak that preaches cooperation?” “Where do these lowlifes think they are, causing trouble in Daseogak?” Lately, many regulars from the martial arts world visit Daseogak. It’s a community we build together. There were regulars willing to roll up their sleeves and step in. “Stand down.” As some martial artists observing the situation began to rise, the leader of the three Black Path warriors raised his hand to stop his subordinates. “If you continue this behavior, we won’t treat you as customers.” I warned the warriors with a confident expression. “Ha. Look at this punk. Acting arrogantly, huh?” “Is it true she didn’t come to work today and that you don’t know where she lives?” “Captain!” “Stay quiet.” The leader must have some sense of rationality. “If you don’t believe me, feel free to look around and leave.” The leader scrutinized me instead of the surroundings after hearing my words. What will glaring at me achieve? "...You’ll regret it greatly if you’re lying. Let’s go!” Thinking they couldn’t get any useful information, the warriors eventually left Daseogak. What a relief. “Manager.” As soon as Ha-SoSo confirmed the departure of the three warriors, she called me with a worried look. “From now on, let’s ensure the employees keep their mouths shut. And as of today, Lim Ha-yeon no longer works at Daseogak.” Though slower than expected, they indeed arrived. Now it’s time to move on to the next prepared plan. “What if sister Ha-yeon suddenly decides to show up this afternoon?” Given Ha-yeon’s personality, she might come in the afternoon. Ha-SoSo asked me with visible concern. Without answering her, I approached the window and cautiously drew the curtain. As expected. The warriors from the Hao Clan were waiting in the opposite building, unwilling to leave the vicinity of Daseogak. Did they think Ha-yeon might show up? They don’t seem to intend to give up easily. “It’s all right.” “What?” Sending someone to the print shop could be risky. But having Lim Ha-yeon arrive at Daseogak is also problematic. To solve Ha-SoSo’s puzzled look, I raised my hand high. “I entrust it to you.” “Cuckoo!” As I raised my hand, the spiritual creature immediately flew toward me. All it took was entrusting message delivery to Gugu, the carrier pigeon. -------------------- Not every martial artist can take on a hundred foes. If you're not confident in easily overpowering your opponent, ambushing or swarming them at once is the easier approach. ‘They’re tailing me.’ In the dark of night on my way home, I could hear someone matching my footsteps from behind. Living as a treasure goblin, losing your possessions without retaliation makes you sensitive to being tailed. When following someone, it's best to erase your presence and tread softly, but it seems Black Hair wasn’t willing to make that effort. ‘Five people have been spying on Daseogak. They're not the type I can handle alone.’ Besides the three who showed up in the morning, there were two more. If my skills were third-rate, five wouldn’t be an issue. However, with Lim Ha-yeon being a skilled martial artist herself, it wouldn't make sense for them to send half-baked warriors to capture her. I should’ve kept my hidden weapons on me. Regretting not bringing them won’t help. I’d dropped them amidst my work, thinking they’d cause an uneasy atmosphere akin to a clown carrying a loaded gun into a children’s ward. I began to naturally widen the gap by adjusting my pace. ‘If they’re aiming for me, I need to run!’ I suddenly bolted. “He’s running!” “Catch him!” You think you can catch me? Even during my days practicing the escape techniques, I moved beyond civilian levels. Now, with five years of internal energy through Xiao Yoon Sim Sang’s method, I was even faster. Enhanced leg strength, even without knowing any lightweight techniques, provided the means to lengthen the distance like prey escaping a predator. ‘Into the alley.' I didn’t know their exact abilities, but if they were here for Lim Ha-yeon, some might have mastery in light-foot techniques. Therefore, running down the main street would be foolish. Regardless of a tofu shop driver’s confidence in their driving skills, they move in a course where they can execute their techniques, not where the opponent can easily dominate. “Here he is! I’ll block him!” Looks like the alley alone isn’t enough. A warrior drew his sword and blocked my path. “Tsk!” Clicking my tongue, I pushed through. The blade swung with no hesitation, ready to slice an arm off in an instant. Even Black Hair feels the pain of a sword, you fool. “Where do you think you’re going?! Huh?” Actually, it doesn’t hurt at all. The warrior was shocked as his swinging blade glided over my skin as if sliding on ice. Surprised? I always feel grateful to Sohee whenever I use the Jade Face Protection technique. I grabbed his wrist and flung him toward the approaching men. “Argh!” “A barbarian knows martial arts!” “Stop him, whatever it takes!” Another guy blocked my path. This one had a look that wouldn’t be easily fooled. I might really get stabbed. Pretending to rush at him, I kicked off the alley wall and leapt. “Ugh!” The unexpected move made him flinch, and I stepped on his shoulder. “This is a double jump, you fool!” I burst my energy through my foot, and with a propulsion even the creator didn’t foresee, launched over the warrior and scaled the blocked alley wall in an instant. “What the?!” I landed safely, akin to a game protagonist who survives even after falling from the atmosphere, with stamina barely affected after falling into water. “Chase him!” I still had plenty of energy left. Let’s do it. Using energy to my Yongcheon point, I quickly widened the gap. ---- “Whew, whew!” I ended up cornered at a dead-end wall. “What kind of bookstore manager runs this well?” “You barbarian scum!” “Whew, whew! What are you doing, attacking me at night after those warriors confronted me during the day?” Leaning against the wall, I addressed my pursuers nonchalantly. “Quit pretending you don’t know.” “I thought you were just some Black Path thugs trying to extort cash. Why are you chasing me?” I needed time to catch my breath, so I acted clueless. “After thinking it over, you probably know her whereabouts better than anyone in this city. Also, we felt humiliated letting an arrogant barbarian go earlier.” “You drew your swords over something as trivial as that?” “Trivial? These days, even those who practice martial arts call themselves civilians?” Fair enough. But even return policies exist. Can’t civilians have a three-year grace period? “And you know, if you've used something that belongs to someone else, you should pay the usage fee. Rumor has it you handle quite a bit of money at Yichang?” These guys are mercenaries hired by the Black Path. They’re essentially one step away from being outright bandits. “You aren’t even sure if she’s a runaway courtesan.” “Cut the bullshit. Just come quietly, spill everything you know about her, and hand over your money, and we’ll consider sparing you.” “And if I refuse?” “Do I really need to spell it out?” All five warriors simultaneously drew their swords, prepared to teach me a lesson. The guy I had thrown earlier was seething with fury. “Ha ha ha!” So, that’s how you want to play it. I laughed exaggeratedly, clutching my belly. “Has he lost his mind?” No, I haven’t. Nor is this a display of bravado. Still laughing, I addressed someone beyond the sword-wielding mercenaries. “Did you hear everything?” “Yes, we heard it all clearly.” This wall I’m backed against? It’s the wall of my house. ----------- “Argh!” “Urgh!” “Run, retreat…ugh!” The competent bodyguards quickly subdued the mercenaries from the Black Path. I was right to repeatedly request reinforcement for the print shop security. “Find out who they are and make sure they’re dealt with properly.” “We’ll get to the bottom of it. Even if it means tracing their ancestry mercilessly.” These men dared to target the life of the Dang family’s illegitimate son. Only the West Heaven Escort Agency knows what fate awaits them. Taking a sigh of relief, I trudged back towards the building’s main interior. “Gasp!” “Are you okay, injured anywhere?” If there’s anything akin to a cat waiting all day in a dark room for its owner, it was Lim Ha-yeon. Startled, she rushed to me the moment I opened the inner quarters' door. "I was just practicing martial arts a bit at night." "....Come in. I have some golden wound ointment in my room." "It's just a few scratches... alright." I wonder if she has figured out what happened to me. With a distressed expression, Lim Ha-yeon pulled me into a room she usually insisted I stay out of and sat me down. "What happened to the pursuers?" She gently applied the golden wound ointment to my injuries while asking. "They targeted me, so the West Heaven Escort Agency took them away. I trust they will handle it well." "...." At the mention of them targeting me, Ha-yeon paused her movements and looked down, seemingly feeling guilty. There's no need for that. "For now, just work at the print shop until there's a breakthrough in this matter. That seems like the best option." As long as the word doesn’t spread that Ha-yeon is living at the print shop, she should be safe for now. "But then I wouldn't be any help at Daseogak. And this happened because of me. If it’s like this, I might as well..." "Why wouldn’t you be useful? From tomorrow, you’ll handle document organization, bookkeeping, and printing tasks at Daseogak." It’s time for her to take on the true role of a manager, someone who can oversee all aspects of Daseogak. There’s no running away. Lim Ha-yeon looked at my calm face for a moment, then spoke with a complex mix of sadness and guilt. "...What if something like this happens again?" "I’ll just run really hard." "But you got caught back at Mangum Bookstore." "Didn't I escape today? I’ll just run harder." This isn’t like the time at Mangum Bookstore. Now I have twice the internal energy—five years’ worth. "Sigh... As if running harder... Huh?" With a sigh full of worries, Ha-yeon suddenly let out a small gasp, as if an idea had struck her. "Don’t worry too much." "...I shouldn’t, but still... no... but." Did she just think of a story idea? Ha-yeon suddenly stood up and began pacing around the room, muttering to herself. "Miss Ha-yeon?" Was it my puzzlement that brought her back to reality? Or had she sorted her thoughts? Looking resolute, Lim Ha-yeon nodded and then looked at me with determination. "Do you want to learn light-foot techniques from me?"