Chapter 174 - The Outcast Writer of a Martial Arts Visual Novel

Chapter 174 - Sacheondang House - 3 “Ha-ha-ha. So, you’re the lad who gave those old fossils in the Elder Council a taste of their own medicine.” The person who had come from the Elder Council was one of our supporters. He explained the current situation of the Council with a kind face. “If you need the secret panacea of the Inmyeonji, it requires the approval of the Elder Council. However, right now, opinions are sharply divided. Ordinarily, this would have continued until the clan leader's return.” “So, you’re saying it’s different now?” “The internal strife of Sacheondang House, spurred by the cases of Danggeo-ho and Sacheonpungun, has reached a boiling point. They worry that ignoring you would lead to the Council losing control over the troubled clan. Therefore, they have an offer for you.” The Elder Council guides the House in the clan leader's absence. Losing credibility in such chaotic times would be a grave issue indeed. This was a calculated move. “What is this offer?” “Prove before the Council that the blood of Sacheondang flows within you. If you can secure a place in the succession, we're willing to hand over the exclusive Inmyeonji recipe. Of course, it won’t be easy.” There was no reason to refuse. --------------------- A day passed, and I was summoned to the Elder Council meeting. Entering a place resembling a small amphitheater, I saw countless people from the Council gathered around, just to see me. In front, like judges presiding over a tribunal, the council members awaited me. The atmosphere almost commanded me to announce, ‘My name is Kang Yoon Ho, the husband to Moyeongsanga’s daughter, a childhood friend of the Celestial Killer, the manager of Daseogak. The author Sacheonpungun, Ho Pil, and the dear friend of a dying poison expert. I vowed to avenge Hwarin in her dying moment.’ As if I was a gladiator proclaiming my lineage. Suppressing a snicker at these frivolous thoughts, I opened my mouth. “What a rare opportunity to see such faces.” I began boldly, addressing the council members, who looked at me with displeasure, with a thinly veiled annoyance on my face. “This gathering is not for your sarcasm! Answer only what we ask!” The elder who seemed like the head of the Council faction supporting the clan’s deputy head, possibly the First Elder, barked at me. “Then ask away.” “Before we ask! If it turns out that you have lied, that you do not have Sacheondang’s blood, regardless of who you are or whose protection you have! The crime of spreading false rumors about our House, of bringing discord to our clan! We will not let you off lightly.” I knew this without being told. My neck had been on the line from the moment Daseogak shuttered its doors temporarily. Seeing that I showed no sign of shrinking back, the First Elder, clearly displeased, continued. “Let’s start with this issue; are you the author who wrote about the House’s secrets over twenty years ago?!” “That’s hardly a secret anymore, it seems.” “Answer only my question!” “Yes, I am Ho Pil. I wrote Sacheondang’s Storm based on stories I heard from my mother.” Though, in truth, I’d inserted the contents of Hyang-a’s diary into it. But now, confessing the truth that I don’t carry the clan’s blood would immediately make me a test subject to the clan’s secret techniques, so I had no intention of being truthful. “Of course, it is true that few are privy to these stories. But that alone does not prove your Sacheondang lineage. Isn’t your friend the daughter of a vile seducer connected to the scandal twenty years ago?” The mere mention of Hwarin riled me. “Don’t speak of my dear friend with such disrespect! After being neglected by you, my friend named Dang Hwarin is fighting for her life. And how would Hwarin know the intimate tales of Dangjeong and Du Eunghyang?” “She's the seed of a seducer; she could’ve heard the details from others around her.” Their logic was ludicrous. Would being a seducer’s child make one privy to the clan leader’s love affairs? Before I could object, shouts rose from another part of the Elder Council. “First Elder! Do you find it reasonable?!” “First Elder! Where is the logic in such far-fetched claims?!” Looking over, I saw the faction supporting me expressing their anger. It felt good not to be fighting in isolation. “B-be quiet! This is no substantive proof. We should proceed with a test.” The First Elder, chairman of the Council, tried to regain control amidst the chaos with a flustered face. “What test? Just hand over the exclusive recipe!” “To confirm the veracity of the Guardians' words. Bring it forth!” At the First Elder's command, someone wheeled in a cart before me. Covered with a pristine tablecloth, a large plate rested atop, its contents obscured by an imposing lid. An ominous hunch crept over me. This couldn’t possibly be what I was thinking. The one bringing the cart gave me a once-over, then careful as if opening a box of explosives, lifted the lid and quickly scampered away. As the lid was lifted, a sweet scent assaulted my nostrils. Though I wished I was wrong, it was as I feared. “Pineapple pizza…” The dish before me was the pineapple pizza said to be consumable only by those of Sacheondang. “This is no ordinary pineapple pizza. It’s one with the pineapple topping quintupled.” The First Elder spoke with bravado though his eyes flickered with unease. Even he found the fivefold topping excessive, didn’t he? “Ha.” I let out a sigh. It was beyond ridiculous. Could this monstrosity even be called pizza? No, could it even be called pineapple pizza? It's like a hot fruit with dough slapped on top. “If it’s difficult, speak up. I’ll have you thrown straight into jail.” The First Elder looked at me scornfully. Could he even stomach eating that? The New York sewers that the turtles inhabit would reject this. “What’s so difficult about it? I’ll eat it.” Without hesitation, I began to defile the pizza before me. Ugh, it was slimy. This was serious; one bite and the cloying fruit juice saturated the dough, numbing my tongue. If there were an Italian martial artist nearby, I’d gift it to them, proclaiming it a true traditional pizza for its flavor. “Really, you can actually eat that!” “It's nonsensical. I myself enjoy pineapple pizza as a delicacy, but adding all those toppings—it becomes something inedible!” “Could it be that he has the direct lineage's blood?” “No, it can’t be…” “Are you willing to acknowledge it now?” After wolfing down two slices of the pizza and wiping my mouth, I asked the Elder Council, whose members were speechless and wide-eyed. “Cough! No! I can't accept this! I have heard that the barbarians with black hair eat pineapple pizza like it's medicine.” “What kind of absurd statement is that?” “Pineapple is a fruit originating from hot regions. Eating it on warm pizza, it’s said to cleanse the liver and intestines, and to be particularly effective in reducing inflammation. So it is written in an ancient book of Eastern medicine, ‘Donguibogam.’” Would the 'Donguibogam,' known for detailing the benefits of tuna DHA, contain such a passage? I looked incredulously at my supporting members in the Elder Council. “Is that really so?” “It is true.” But surely the 'Donguibogam' wouldn't mention anything about that. The uproar doesn't seem warranted for that reason. What’s going on? They're all murmuring among themselves, not glancing my way. A hint of a smile is barely perceptible. They don’t seem to take pleasure in trapping me. The ongoing chatter meant I couldn't count on them for help. I must break through this predicament on my own. “What about this then? Will you deny this too?” Even if they reject Sacheondang’s Storm or the pineapple pizza, I still have one more ace up my sleeve. I raised my hand high, showing a bracelet etched with a Jimsae to the crowd. "The Bulmanghwan!" "The keepsake only the direct descendants of Sacheondang can give, the Bulmanghwan!" "So, the rumors were true!" The commotion around me broke into a frenzy. Yes, this could not be easily dismissed. "Everyone, be silent! I have heard that you’ve been carrying an unregistered Bulmanghwan. Indeed, the Bulmanghwan is a gratitude token only a direct descendant can give." Even the First Elder had trouble rejecting my Bulmanghwan and told me so with a sunk-hearted face. "My mother received the Bulmanghwan twenty years ago from a direct descendant of the Sacheondang who was pursuing a notorious seducer. And there was only one member of the direct lineage doing so back then." Everyone knows who I mean, right? Anyone who knows about the scandal from twenty years ago or those who have read Sacheondang’s Storm will have one person coming to mind. Triumphant, I looked at the First Elder, but he countered my argument with a triumphant smile. "That Bulmanghwan has never been officially reported." "What are you saying? That this is a fake?" This is a 'Made in China' product, guaranteed by the Guardian Master. Made by Sacheondang. "It is a principle that if you belong to the clan, you report the use of the gratitude token to the House. For example, we've been informed about the token given to a Taoist of Moudang who aided Yi'ak. However, there have been no official directives regarding unregistered Bulmanghwan by the clan leader." "Don’t play with words. To say it's unofficial means there are those who know. Bring anyone who followed the clan leader at that time. They will testify on my behalf." The Guardian Master knows the truth. Surely those who accompanied them at the time would be aware. "All parties involved at that time could not attend today due to various circumstances." The corner of the First Elder's mouth curled up. Did he prevent their attendance on purpose? Even stopping witnesses from appearing. What a modern trial this is. My supporters in the Elder Council. Will you just stand by? I looked to my supporters, but even as the commotion died down, they remained silent. Why do they just watch so keenly, without any response? I feel like an animal performing tricks in a tiger's den, unable to avoid the fate that awaits. There’s no need to panic or shrink. To survive in a tiger's den, one must don the tiger’s skin. After all, there never were any true allies here. "Does everyone at the Sacheondang become disabled from handling poison for too long?" I glared at the First Elder with a look of disbelief. "What do you mean?" “You have ears but do not hear, eyes but do not see. It’d seem better to talk to the deaf and blind.” Like a young tiger challenging an old one. I shall press forward boldly. "How dare you! Are you insulting the Elder Council?!!!" Don’t you dare insult this sacred trial. There are objections! Eavesdropping and trespassing, and even spirit mediums showing up—if you collect evidence, it should be acknowledged, not ignored outright. “Is this the way of Sacheondang? Predetermining the outcome and pre-judging the situation?” "How dare you! Your tongue is as lowly as barbarian blood! Though it was at your request that this place was made, your crimes of creating discord in Sacheondang, of spreading its secrets recklessly, of falsely claiming its blood cannot be overlooked lightly! He could be involved with Danggeo-ho and his group! We will conduct an interrogation to find out the truth!" Not an interrogation but torture, is what he means. That cannot happen. I use the Soyun Simsjanggyeol. Deep within my heart. Fueled by the neglected Hwarin and the rage that dragged me to this point. "Now you dare interrogate me based solely on suspicion—the one who has the blood of the great Sacheondang?" My roar echoed throughout the Elder Council. Even I was taken aback by the strong energy in my voice, which reverberated around me, causing everyone to look at me in shock. "No, I can't accept that you have the blood of Sacheondang.” Startled by my voice, the First Elder spoke to me with an alarmed look. There's still a chance. I had many more strategies prepared, many more tales to reveal. Which one should I pull out next? My mind raced with the urgency of finding a way to survive. To find a way to save Hwarin. 一 Clapplause. Just as I was nearing a conclusion, the sound of clapping broke through. "I recognize it." From the middle of the Elder Council's supportive faction, the sound was coming from there. I turned my head toward the source of the sound. There, a face I had not wished to see again but at the same time longed to, was smiling at me. "The Guardian Master?" "I, the Guardian Master, Dang Mugi. Having witnessed every incident of the past twenty years and having observed this child by my side, I can attest as Ho Pil, as Kang Yoon Ho, that the blood of Sacheondang flows within him."