Ch 325 - The Outcast Writer of a Martial Arts Visual Novel

***Institution of Qi (기문) – Part 1*** The Institution of Qi is getting involved here? Currently, there are two factions capable of asserting ownership over Lim Ha Yeon. Originally, Lim Ha Yeon belonged to the Institution of Qi, but now the Institution of Path possesses her miracle. The Institution of Path reclaimed the Qi pavilion and teaching grounds, formerly seized by the Institution of Evil, thus logically transferring Lim Ha Yeon's miracle to the Institution of Path. Of course, there was an issue. There was evidence suggesting that the Institution of Path incited sects from the Institution of Evil to attack the Institution of Qi. Moreover, Lim Ha Yeon was the only survivor of the Wusan teaching grounds' assault. The Institution of Path desperately sought her, and the Institution of Qi appeared ready to yield to the Institution of Path's insistence. And now, suddenly, the Institution of Qi appears, demanding Lim Ha Yeon? “We are not causing this chaos until dawn just to hand over Lady Ha Yeon to someone.” The time was already passing dawn, and daylight was approaching. I spoke with a stern face to the woman who appeared from the Institution of Qi. “Is this the conclusion, this situation now?” "……." I observed our surroundings through her gaze, noting the martial artists encircling us. Those from the Institution of Path, showing hostility yet unable to act rashly due to numbers disadvantage, Those from the Institution of Qi, seemingly observing the situation but ready to draw their swords at any moment. Among this forest of blades, evidently numbering over a hundred, none seemed ready to draw their sword for us. “Ha Yeon, it's been a while since I last taught you the lute some years ago. You were indeed a gifted child.” The woman greeted Lim Ha Yeon, who stood behind me, with a welcoming expression. “Yes, I remember.” Acquainted, then. “It's unfortunate to meet you again in this situation, but as a bright child, I trust you understand what to do now.” “Where do the courtesan wenches think they’re taking her? Do you know how much we've suffered trying to capture her?” The martial artist from the Institution of Path shouted at the woman, sensing their hard work was about to be snatched away. “Was threatening the noble guest of the Tang family included in those efforts?” The woman looked at the martial artist with a face that implied foolishness. “Hah! Even so, who cares? As long as they’re not dead, the lazy righteous sects won't move from faraway Sichuan to infinity. We'll handle it ourselves, so leave!” “How noisy and foolish you are.” “Damn wenches! Why are you stepping in when you’ve decided to give up on Lim Ha Yeon? ...Ugh!” As the warriors from the Institution of Path attempted to draw their swords, the warriors from the Institution of Qi, seemingly double in number, silently glared at them. The woman from the Institution of Qi nodded in satisfaction and turned her gaze back to Lim Ha Yeon. “Ha Yeon, if you come with me now, I’ll do my best to clear your grievances.” “...Can Kang Gong Ja safely return too?” I felt Lim Ha Yeon’s gaze on me from behind. “Lady Ha Yeon!” What are you saying? “Yes, I promise no harm shall come to your savior.” “Lady Ha Yeon. Please hold onto my hand tightly.” Don’t give up. Where are you planning to go? I clasped her hand tightly, hoping my emotions would reach her. “You.” A resigned voice came through. “Stay behind me and don't entertain any foolish thoughts!” The sky’s navy-blue painted hue is gradually fading. Just a little longer and the sun will rise, and warm sunlight will caress the earth after a harsh night. Just a little longer. Just hold on a little longer. “Ha Yeon, if you don’t follow me now, your savior will suffer.” “Don’t listen. There’s a less guarded path behind.” Can we break through? I’m not confident we can. Should I let Lim Ha Yeon escape while I serve as a decoy? “...” “Lady Ha Yeon?” Turning, Lim Ha Yeon’s face was one of a woman having made a grave decision after much contemplation. “I’m sorry. I don’t want to see you get hurt.” “Cough!” Before I could react, her hand struck my sleep acupoint. A pressure point technique to induce unconsciousness. No. My vision darkens. My strength drains away. I felt my collapsing body cushioned by something soft. “...Thank you. It was joyful. I was happy. And...” As consciousness drifted away, The last thing I remembered was the sorrowful voice in my ear and her tears touching my cheek. ———— My mind floats. Too fatigued to stay alert, with depleted stamina, hunger, and small wounds causing a sleepy stupor. The sleep is too sweet. It feels like I could sleep for half a day more. “Brother, the leader is smiling?” “Leave him be, he must be having a pleasant dream.” “Ugh.” For some reason, I suddenly felt that I should wake up. “It seems he’s waking up!” “The doctor! Indeed, a master!” “See! Didn’t I tell you I’ve read the Donguibogam several times! I can dispel such acupoint techniques!” With bustling noises, my heavy eyelids finally fluttered open. “Where is this?” “You are in the office of Ungi Inn. At dawn, the courtesans and martial artists brought you here when you were unconscious. They ordered us to protect you at all costs, so we came too.” By the bedside were the Samgu brothers and a physician, muttering among other Hyangwoo members. But the woman who should be worrying about me the most was not there. “Lady Ha Yeon?” “Did you not find the lady consort yesterday?” Choi Il Gu looked at me with a perplexed expression. So it wasn’t a dream after all. I closed my eyes in agony, gritting my teeth. Ultimately, I failed to protect Lim Ha Yeon. Months of effort to safeguard her turned to naught in an instant. The despair of a tragic failure weighed heavily upon me. Exhaustion and defeat. The temptation to escape reality and drift back to dreams loomed momentarily. “There’s no time for this.” I struggled to shake off the temptation and tried to get up. “Please remain seated.” “Who?” Turning my head towards the unfamiliar voice, I saw the only one among the sea of black hair not having black hair, gazing at me. “I have come sent by Si Mun Hyang Ju.” ————— "Could you inform Si Mun Hyang Ju that I am calling on him?" Not a second can be wasted. I quickly donned my coat and spoke to the person from Si Mun. “If you leave now, you might meet him. However, the response will be the same as before.” The person from Si Mun addressed me in a cold tone. "What kind of response?" Has the situation already been conveyed? I hope it's a positive response, but from their tone and expression, it's making me uneasy. “Let go of Lim Ha Yeon.” As expected, it wasn’t a good answer. “What do you mean, after all the trouble I’ve gone through in Wudan, you say this?” Why so disappointing? “If you relinquish Lim Ha Yeon, our leader will assist her.” “...Continue.” I sat down and glanced at the place where normally there would be a lady naturally preparing tea. “If Kang Gong Ja refrains from intervening anymore, Si Mun will mediate between the Institution of Qi and the Institution of Path. This will include the Wusan attack and the issue of Lim Ha Yeon's escape.” “Isn’t that good enough?” If he's saying he’ll handle it without my interference, I have no intention of causing more trouble. “However, Lim Ha Yeon will return as a courtesan. And her miracle will not go to its original owner, the Institution of Qi, but to the Institution of Path.” “How is that mediation?” That’s not the resolution I wanted. I scowled, glaring at the person from Si Mun. “It is a compromise. The Institution of Qi completely gives up on Lim Ha Yeon’s miracle, while the Institution of Path treats Lim Ha Yeon as a courtesan and not an escaped one." “That is not the resolution I desire.” “But it is a satisfactory solution to Lady Ha Yeon.” “...” How far did Lim Ha Yeon foresee before she returned? Somehow, her tears felt palpable on my now dry cheeks. “Si Mun found no evidence regarding the Institution of Path’s attack on Wusan. Delving any deeper would disturb a hornet's nest that neither Si Mun, the Institution of Qi, nor the Institution of Path wants to provoke.” They fight and oppose each other, but ultimately, they are all part of the greater structure of Hǎowén. No one wants to reach a worst-case scenario. It was something Si Mun Hyang Ju would sometimes say. It's about patching things up without clashes, keeping peace on the surface. Certainly, it could be a solution satisfactory to all three entities—Si Mun, the Institution of Qi, and the Institution of Path. But, you see... “So you are suggesting that Lady Ha Yeon should be content with returning as a courtesan? Regardless of what schemes the Institution of Path might later concoct with her miracle?” I absolutely cannot be satisfied with this. Do they know what she might have to endure? “She was originally a courtesan. Why shouldn’t a courtesan return to being a courtesan? I understand it’s a difficult decision. However, Kang Gong Ja, cease your–” “What’s there to contemplate? Let’s go together. I need to meet Si Mun Hyang Ju.” I need help right now to rescue Lim Ha Yeon. The Tang family is far away, Seocheon Pyo Guk is merely a handful, and appealing for help from Mang Geum’s Master to connect me with Je Gal Hyang is impossible. There is only one place I can ask for help now. “What? Kang Gong Ja?” I ignored the perplexed expression of the person from Si Mun, rising from my seat, and opened the office door. “I have no intention of giving her up.” ——————————————————— "I knew you'd come.” At the inn where Si Mun Hyang Ju resided, she welcomed me with a faint laugh. “Please help me.” Not in a groveling manner, but confidently. Acting as if requesting clemency while asserting my rights. I kept my body low, adopting the respectful gesture, and looked at Si Mun Hyang Ju. “Removing the false accusation of escape and retrieving the miracle from the Institution of Path are different issues. Those lunatics are stubbornly refusing to yield.” “If it were an easy problem, I wouldn’t have come all the way here.” “To help you, we would directly clash with the Institution of Path. Why should Si Mun take the risk for you?” Si Mun Hyang Ju looked at me as if evaluating something insignificant she could crush at any moment. Indeed. I am merely an aspirant under Si Mun. If the entire company were to intervene for a mere new employee, who would move? “You won’t regret it.” If handled poorly, blood may spill from internal disputes within the sects. I must demonstrate that I hold enough value to justify the risk. I met Si Mun Hyang Ju’s gaze with a tone brimming with confidence. “No regrets, you say?” “Bring it in!” With my words, the door opened, and a large box was placed at my feet. “What is this?” “This is information about which supposedly incorruptible official has been taking bribes. This is intel about the Gal Ha Pyo Guk’s head's new wife’s affair with her stepson, and this reveals Ha Jong Sang Dan's secret use of double accounting books...” The box was filled with potentially lucrative pieces of information. “What is all this?” “It’s information I’ve collected with the help of my subordinates. If you desire, it’s all yours, Sir.” “I don’t recall teaching you this.” Si Mun Hyang Ju gazed at me with an astonished expression. “Isn’t the role of an attendant mostly learned by watching others?” I shrugged with nonchalance, implying the information at hand was only the tip of the iceberg. Si Mun Hyang Ju once challenged me to a test when I first joined. Create your own sphere of influence within Si Mun. That was the crux of the test Si Mun Hyang Ju gave me, but was it enough? Hǎowén is an information network. Perhaps he meant for me to gather influencial informational power that couldn’t be ignored. Convinced that it would be useful eventually, I amassed a trove of profitable information. “Where on earth has such a fellow emerged from...” Si Mun Hyang Ju smiled so widely that her smile lines deepened. “Help me, please.” “Fine! It’s the natural order to invest in someone worthy of it. I’ll help you! Currently, there are two factions making claims over Lim Ha Yeon’s ownership, so let’s aim to retrieve the miracle for the Institution of Qi first...” “It’s not two factions but three.” “Hmm?” “I intend to bring her by my side, not to the Institution of Qi.” "Is there really a need to go that far, especially when it's going to be even more challenging?" "Because I need to give her an answer." From atop the pavilion overlooking Wudan's nightscape, I promised to hold her hand and give her a response. "What?" Lim Ha Yeon's last words to me as I was losing consciousness. She said she was thankful, that it had been joyful, that she was happy, and then... To the promise I made, her whispered words were meant only for me, shy yet filled with emotions she had hidden away. "I love you." "I’ll answer her confession in my own way."