Chapter 206 - The Outcast Writer of a Martial Arts Visual Novel

Chapter 206 - Return - 4 I had inadvertently observed it. The probability of the cat being inside the box was fifty percent. Normally, Schrödinger's cat ought to provoke curiosity until the box is opened; however, regretfully, this liquor jar was of Chinese make. In the liquor jar, there were eyes, which seemed caught in an endless dilemma, deciding whether to meet mine or to keep gazing at the jar, continuously shifting. The moment our eyes met, I thanked my stars the person wasn’t some martial artist about to declare 'you're already dead,' but there was a separate issue at hand. 'Why on earth is he here?' This is someone I know. No, this is a character I know. A woman with pink hair split into twin tails, each tied around the nape of her neck. Though flushed with panic, she was undeniably beautiful, a striking beauty anyone would acknowledge, perfectly fitting for a character from a martial arts romance game. Her somewhat foolish nature wasn’t limited to the narrative, apparently, as it manifested even when she found herself hiding. Her face was younger than the one I remembered, but she was definitely the character I knew. 'Is the world of this martial arts game smaller than I thought?' That couldn’t be it. The central plains I had traversed on foot had felt boundless. The province of Hubei alone was nearly twice the size of South Korea; it took me a month and a half just to get here from Sichuan. Why, in these expansive central plains, was this woman before my eyes? “Excuse me… Could you pretend you haven't seen anything?” During my silence, the woman with pink hair seemed to have come to a conclusion about the situation. Regaining her composure, she awkwardly asked me. “I'm just going to check the liquor jar. The one being sent from Siwha Brewing to Yichang!” "EEK!" As soon as she heard the word 'liquor jar,’ the woman with pink hair let out a tiny scream and then sent me a look begging for salvation with her pale, horrified face. Do I have no choice? "Stay quiet." I gestured for silence by placing my index finger to my lips, then immediately closed the lid. 'What should I do?' I could just close the lid and pretend nothing happened. If so, once the sabumun warriors come closer and see the seal has been tampered with, I’d be caught right away. “It’s just checking, is there a problem with that?” "You cannot approach the goods!" "Sabuweon, you say! There's someone from Siwha Brewing who entrusted these goods here." "What's this?" The boisterous voices were drawing closer. I need to make a decision, fast. 'Should I form a small connection?' Not every female character in the story could be a heroine. Still, there was no need to miss an opportunity to earn the favor of a character from the original work. I sat atop the liquor jar, large enough for a person to sit and tall enough to rise upon. 'Really, not every woman could be a heroine, right?' I asked myself doubtfully, yet there was no one in this world who could answer. -------- Just as humans and orcs might unite against the incursion of a flaming demon from outer space, conflicts are best buried under new conflicts. Firstly, I sit atop what Sabumun desires most. There's no need to overtly start on a confrontational footing. Pretending to be disinterested in the commotion, I blankly gazed at the Yangtze River, where ships were moored. "That liquor jar over there is being sent from Siwha Brewing!" Suddenly, Sabumun's warriors had approached the liquor jar, accompanied by the couriers, as a group. "Really? Then, there's a high chance it's there!" Without turning my head, I glanced sideward, and the giant warrior leading them appeared unmistakably to be their chief. The warrior approached with an expression as if he had finally found a hidden piece on the game board. "You cannot touch the goods." The chief courier, along with his men, tried to restrain the warrior. "Don't be so uptight. That jar is Siwha Brewing's. What’s the harm in checking when the owner wants to look at his own goods?" The one who appeared to be Sabumun's chief countered by pushing forward a small and scared-looking man. Is that Siwha Brewing's man? He seems dragged here against his will. "Goods entrusted to us are under our management until they reach their destination. You’re neither the owner nor a mere emissary from Siwha Brewing, so you can't just open it at your leisure." The chief courier responded with unwavering firmness, as if meddling with the courier business was not a trivial matter. "Ha! You’re slow with the news. Siwha Brewing's owner is dead." The warrior sneered at the chief courier. "What do you mean?" "Yesterday, Siwha Brewing's owner faced… Ahem, misfortune came upon him." "Then all the more we cannot show it to you." "Ah! Yesterday, our Sabumun took over Siwha Brewing. Then naturally, as the new owner, I should be able to check, should I not?" "You can't just insist on checking the goods in such a manner." "It's not insistence, it's my rightful claim. You black-haired foreigner! Move aside!" Believing he had won the argument logically, the warrior shouted at me sitting on the jar. "........" For now, let's stoke the fire by pretending not to hear. "Has this foreign cur gone deaf?" "I dislike it. I quite enjoy the view from here." One should ask politely if seeking a favor. Who do you think you are, calling me a 'foreign cur' as if we're familiar? Even if you weren't sitting below, I wouldn't move. "Has this foreigner lost his mind?" "Looking out over the Yangtze River from atop this liquor jar has made me feel a bit drunk." I stroked my forehead with my fingertips, feigning drunkenness with an exaggerated act. Anyone could see that I was just kidding. A respectable person, in this situation, would've politely encouraged me again, but clearly, these men were not the sort to do so. "Has this Goryeo pimp gone insane?" "Goryeo pimp?" Wow. Mention a little tease and they bite hard. Even now, while 'foreign cur' may seem as benign as black bro, 'Goryeo pimp' strikes a different nerve. Goryeo pimp. In modern times, it's a term equating to calling a Chinese 'Chinaman' or a Japanese 'Jap'. "Yes. Goryeo pimp. Shall I show you your guts? Or should I take a closer look at your rotten brain?" As I inquired with a dumbfounded look, even harsher words spewed from the warrior's mouth. Understood. He likely doesn't want to appear weak to those around him. He's already intimidated by both the Seocheon courier service and the onlookers from the Tang family, and then there's the perfect scapegoat in front of him. To him, the foreigner is an obvious target for contempt, someone he can easily crush to assert his dominance over the surrounding warriors. But he's made a critical error in judgment. "How dare you do this to Master Kang?!" "How dare you to a guest of Seocheon Couriers?!" "These fools! They have the nerve to go too far after I've been lenient!" The Seocheon couriers and Tang family warriors wasted no time in drawing their weapons. "What, what is happening?!" "Brother! I'm not sure what's going on, but it seems like we're screwed, right?" "Could it be a high-ranking individual?" Well, since I'm sitting high, that would make me a high-ranking person, wouldn’t it? "Hey." The atmosphere was set. With a poised attitude, I landed from my perch and approached the warrior. "Hey?" "Yes. Hey. What kind of person are you?" Puffing yourself up without knowing your place. I'm not even tickled by such small displays. "The leader of Sabumun." As I called him out with confidence, Sabumun's leader realized something was amiss and answered in a deflated tone. "I manage a few brothels in U-san, a jianghu faction." I pretended to demand further information, prompting the chief courier to quickly respond with a perceptive answer. "A jianghu faction? So you don't know proper manners?" I glanced at the clan leader with a deliberately arrogant expression and started dusting off his dirty clothes. "You wha—... I mean, who might you be, sir?" "Think about it. If one word from me causes the warriors of both Sichuan's Tang family and Seocheon Couriers to draw their swords, who do you think I am?" I maintained a smile, continually pressuring him. Fear breeds suspicion, and suspicion gives birth to more fear. I intended to make him imagine that he had made a tremendous mistake, perhaps even opened the gates to his own inferno. "Are you someone extremely distinguished?" The clan leader's voice trembled, sensing an atmosphere in which he might be nailed to a post by the Tang family. "Let's leave it at that. It's healthier for your mind to think so. And, you were saying the owner of the liquor jar has vanished?" What a lack of imagination this fellow has. Yes, let's leave it at that. For you to understand my story, you'd have to be aware of the recent geopolitical changes due to incidents in Joseon and the Tang family's hidden scandals. "Indeed. I mean, yes." "If that's so, then fine." "What are you saying?" "I'll just buy that liquor. So stop the commotion." I abruptly grabbed the leader's collar with the same hand I'd been dusting him off with, immediately turning my smiling face into a scowl. You're annoying me and now irritating me as well. I glared down at him, exerting more pressure. "I had no intention of selling that liquor…" "Take this. And go away." I cut off the clan leader's words and took out some money from my pocket. The money I presented was just a single coin. Raising a copper coin between two fingers so everyone around could see, it was clear that it was not made of gold or silver. It was barely enough to fill a small liquor cup with wine, let alone the dozens of liquor jars behind me. "How dare you!" "How dare I? Hey. Accept it when I have something to give for the offense you caused me." The clan leader might have realized there was someone in the liquor jar. But what can you do? This is as far as my kindness goes. A person, dozens of liquor jars, a few insults, and then a copper coin. It might feel humiliating, but it's cheaper than the price of a life. I grabbed the clan leader’s wrist and placed a copper coin in his palm. "Kkugh!" "Kkugh? Should I use this money as your fare across the River Styx instead?" "...I agree to sell the liquor jar." The leader of Sabumun eventually conceded and left without looking back. ------------------------- "Thank you, Master Kang, for resolving that commotion." The chief courier of Seocheon expressed his gratitude as Sabumun receded. "I merely did not wish for the disturbance to delay my journey home." "We shall provide swift transport." "Please ensure safe passage. And I could use a favor later." "What would that be?" I can't just end things here. ------------------------- Seocheon Couriers' boat, now loaded with goods and passengers, set sail for Yichang. "A stowaway!" "She's escaping! Catch her!" "How did she get on board the ship?" "There's nowhere to run on these rapids!" Just as expected. I straightened my attire and opened the door of the vessel. "Now, then. Let's find out why the Shadowless Divine Thief is here."