344 - The Outcast Writer of a Martial Arts Visual Novel

Dashing Bandit - 3 "The authorities are here." Several days later. Officials dressed in constable uniforms arrived at Daseogak. "Isn't that Jwa Po Du? What's the matter?" The corrupt official who took the bribe was Jwa Po Du. The ones who got robbed must have spent money on someone quite high up. Since Wuwei is the provincial capital of Hubei, its security organization isn't as simple as having just Po Du and Po Kwae; it consists of Jwa Po Du and Ua Po Du under the Chong Podu, along with Po Kwae and constables. "Manager Kang Yun Ho of Daseogak, come out!" A Po Kwae raised his voice and shouted. "What’s going on here! Why is the manager being sought by the authorities?!" One of the members of Daseogak stood up and questioned. "We need to investigate the matter of Mu Yeong Sin Tu! If you interfere, you'll be judged by the national law!" "Everyone, don't worry too much. It's nothing serious. Shall I just follow them?" Coming to the shop instead of my home... What an inconvenience for business. I raised my hand to the Po Kwae to indicate that I was the manager, Kang. "Where is the writer, Ho Pil?" "Well, I don't really know. He's such a wanderlust-filled fellow, he just sends manuscripts from time to time." "Very well. Then you, come with us! You aren’t a criminal yet, so if you follow quietly, you won’t have to be bound in shackles." So, could I become a criminal later? "Manager Kang!" As I was about to follow the Po Kwae, Ha So So called after me with a worried look. "So So, inform the residence of my situation." "What should I tell them?" "Just tell them to act according to the plan. Let's go." This was all prepared in advance. As long as we act according to the plan, everything will be fine. "Follow me!" I nodded at So So and headed towards the authorities. — “We’ve received a tip-off that Daseogak and Mu Yeong Sin Tu are in cahoots.” The place Jwa Po Du took me was a sort of interrogation room. Perhaps a place for taking statements. Contrary to my worries, Jwa Po Du had me sit in a chair in front of a desk. Maybe it's because I'm not a suspect yet. Luckily, they didn’t bring out implements to test whether a person can withstand a million volts, or tools to force someone into becoming an instrument. Since I've been dragged into an interrogation room, I'll need to maintain the posture of an innocent person. “This is unfair! Cahoots, you say!” Although it’s true that Mu Yeong Sin Tu and I have a pretty close relationship. Let’s pretend to be scared and act unjustly accused for now. “The moment the novel, ‘The Hero’s Tale’, was published, Mu Yeong Sin Tu appeared in Wuwei! How can you claim this is unfair?" “I find it unfair to even use the term Mu Yeong Sin Tu in the first place!” "You find the term Mu Yeong Sin Tu unfair? Isn't there a character named Mu Yeong Sin Tu in 'The Hero’s Tale’?" "Thieves bearing the name Mu Yeong Sin Tu have appeared from time to time throughout history. The name was simply used in 'The Hero’s Tale’ because it was that of a famous thief. And now suddenly, an unknown thief is labeled Mu Yeong Sin Tu?!" “Are you suggesting that the thief active now is not originally named Mu Yeong Sin Tu?” “Exactly right! Jwa Po Du, if I were bitten by a dog in passing, and the dog's name were Jwa Po Du’s puppy, and then it was said that Jwa Po Du’s puppy bit me, claiming for medical expenses—how unjust would that be!” “Puhp.” A sudden curse slipped out, causing one of the listening Po Kwaes to laugh. “Are you mocking me now!” Jwa Po Du scowled, shouting at me. “Ah! Did I perhaps say something wrong? I apologize! I am a Korean. I only meant ‘puppy’ by it.” Oh, using Chinese is difficult. I feigned apologetic confusion. “Hmm. I suppose there are some barbarians who understand the words but not the connotations. I'll let it pass.” I definitely meant it as an insult, bribe-eating scoundrel. “But what’s the proper way to say Jwa Po Du's puppy in Chinese?” “Puhuhp.” Pretending ignorance once more, I asked again, prompting a chorus of laughter from the Po Kwaes, excluding Jwa Po Du. “Enough! I understand what you meant! But how do you explain this! The black paper crane incident!” Jwa Po Du, red-faced, questioned me. “Are you referring to Mu Yeong Sin Tu leaving a black paper crane at the crime scene?” I needed to speak logically now. Maintaining my look of injustice, I replied calmly. “Yes! I heard the same scene appears in ‘The Hero’s Tale’! How is this not evidence?” The black paper crane. A link connecting the Mu Yeong Sin Tu from ‘The Hero’s Tale’ and the real Mu Yeong Sin Tu in Wuwei. It serves as evidence of the alleged cahoots between Daseogak and Mu Yeong Sin Tu. Claiming it was a strange coincidence would only prompt ridicule. But here’s the thing. I’ve already prepared a countermeasure for this. “Have you read ‘The Hero’s Tale’ by any chance?” “What? No. I haven’t read it.” Jwa Po Du shook his head. Even if it’s bribery, shouldn’t you at least do the basic research? “Has any Po Kwae here read ‘The Hero’s Tale’?” “I have.” Thankfully, a few raised their hands. Good, this makes it easier. “Does the novel state that Mu Yeong Sin Tu leaves behind a black paper crane?” “No, it doesn’t.” “What? I was definitely told it does, what are you talking about?” “Mu Yeong Sin Tu folded black paper in an odd manner. That’s what’s written in ‘The Hero’s Tale’. Nowhere does it say he folded a paper crane.” “Isn’t it essentially the same?!” “I have never once heard of crafting a crane from paper. How could one imagine a thief mastering such a skill?!” Similar but different. Not entirely identical. The Mu Yeong Sin Tu in the novel uses a commonly accessible method. Meanwhile, the technique used by the thief in Wuwei is an art that can be called a skill. Even during the writing phase, I had already prepared an escape plan to negate any connections. “Leaving behind black paper doesn’t change.” Jwa Po Du argued back, flustered. “The easiest way to dye paper is with black ink. If someone intended to leave evidence of their presence, it wouldn’t be anything special.” “Are you suggesting all of this is a mere strange coincidence?!” When a cat, expecting a meal, gets bitten by a rat, it's bound to get angry. A compromise must be found. It's time to unveil the second plan I had prepared. "The unknown thief leaving behind black paper cranes appeared a few days before 'The Hero’s Tale' was published." "What?!" "I looked into it myself out of curiosity. The thief indeed showed up two days before the release of 'The Hero’s Tale.' The similar timing seems to have caused the misunderstanding." Daseogak might be orchestrating Mu Yeong Sin Tu's activities. Even if that's not the case, the authorities could argue it's a copycat crime and block the release of 'The Hero’s Tale.' What if the authorities make this claim? I had already anticipated this during the writing stage. The solution was simple—have Mu Yeong Sin Tu's activities precede the publication. "Even if it happened before the release, there's no law saying Mu Yeong Sin Tu couldn't have seen it first!" "What do you mean? At that time, 'The Hero’s Tale' was on a ship arriving from the Wuchang Printing House. Seocheon Courier Service can confirm this." "Gruh." "An unknown thief couldn't have seen it, nor could Ho Pil have written the book in just two days." By having Mu Yeong Sin Tu act two days prior, neither Ho Pil nor Mu Yeong Sin Tu could be influenced by each other. It creates a perfect alibi. "So, it was merely a coincidence?" Jwa Po Du glared at me, still unwilling to admit defeat. Two unassailable logical shields had been prepared. Now it was time to lay down the negotiation card. "Of course, it’s possible someone could have read it and copied it." Let’s throw out a bait they’ll eagerly swallow. "What! Are you admitting something?" "They might not have copied the theft itself, but perhaps the righteous banditry inspired by 'The Hero’s Tale.'" "Theft inspired by righteous banditry?" "While the theft happened two days before the release, I heard the act of leaving money at a poor house occurred the day after the release. Perhaps a thief wanting to show off read 'The Hero’s Tale' and mimicked Mu Yeong Sin Tu’s actions." "So it's not related to Daseogak but perhaps a thief got inspired by 'The Hero’s Tale' to turn to righteous banditry?" I nodded at the bewildered Jwa Po Du. "Yes. It's unrelated to Daseogak, but 'The Hero’s Tale' might have somehow reformed the thief." Not connected to the thefts but possibly linked to heroic acts. Since 'The Hero’s Tale' might have reformed the thief, this was the negotiation card I offered to Jwa Po Du. "So, it's not your fault then? The doubts haven’t been fully eroded yet. We will continue questioning tomorrow! Lock him up for now!" Is that how it’s going to be, then? They’ll regret it. ***** “They’re going to release him?!” That evening, the wealthy victims of Mu Yeong Sin Tu's theft invited Jwa Po Du to a pleasure house. "We can't keep him indefinitely." Jwa Po Du sighed, sounding troubled. "Shouldn't you extract a confession somehow?" A merchant who had his precious jewelry thoroughly stolen by Mu Yeong Sin Tu spoke. "But the barbarian's words were plausible, aligning with logic. The possibility of coincidence seems very high." "He’s a barbarian selling a book that incites crime! He needs to be punished to serve as a warning!" Those gathered here cared little whether Kang Yun Ho was involved with Mu Yeong Sin Tu or not. Their rage from having their precious items stolen required an outlet, a scapegoat for their directionless anger. "Are you trying to give me orders now?" Jwa Po Du frowned as those attempting to bribe him stepped over the line. "N-no, sir!" The one who shouted quickly swallowed dryly, and someone else among the group spoke up. "Hahaha. I heard that this Kang Yun Ho fellow is a leader among the black-haired barbarians in Wuwei. As a barbarian leader selling crime-inciting books, you must have been keeping an eye on him." "There’s so much going on, it's hard to focus on just one." So bothersome. Didn’t I investigate as you asked? Jwa Po Du pretended disinterest. "Haha. Then perhaps we should empower you to keep a closer watch." The representative of the group handed over an elegant box as if offering something precious. Feigning disinterest, Jwa Po Du let a companion accept it, who carefully showed him the contents of the box. Inside was a gold toad, roughly the size of a child’s fist. "Oh, my. It gleams beautifully." Greed flickered in the eyes of Jwa Po Du, unbecoming for someone responsible for the city's peace. "Nothing beats this for boosting spirits." "I’ve mouths to feed. This toad seems like it needs to have some offspring." Jwa Po Du glanced around at those present, as if asking if this was all they had to offer. "Hehe. Surely, more toil would make this toad breed, wouldn’t it?" "Alright. All of you, drink up." I’ll deal with that black-haired barbarian as you wish. They shared drinks, and the room swiftly became lively with camaraderie. So much so that they didn't notice when one of the courtesans left briefly, releasing an oddly shaped pigeon. **** "A tip-off has come in." The next day, the place Jwa Po Du summoned me to was not the moderate interrogation room from before, but a grim room with visible bloodstains scattered about. "What kind of tip-off?" Nothing could surpass handing over the golden toad at the pleasure house yesterday, I’d imagine. "You are... the leader of the black-haired barbarians, after all." Seems they did a bit more homework since yesterday. "I do provide some convenience to those from my homeland." "Your couriers are trained in light martial arts! So, it's easy for them to covet wealthy homes' money and steal to support your business!" "They can merely run faster than the average person with their basic skills." Desperately trying to connect the dots. "I’ll determine if this is true or false by conducting a thorough interrogation. Prepare the devices!" Looks like they intend to add my blood to the stains on the floor. "Must it... really come to this?" I set my face resolute and stared at Jwa Po Du head-on. "Now, your expression changes! Have you been acting all this time?" "How can you torture an innocent person based solely on suspicion without evidence?" "Ha! Let's see if you remain calm when your skin burns under a hot iron!" "You will regret this." For the first time, I furrowed my brow in front of Jwa Po Du. "Regret? Hahaha! What’s this barbarian talking about? Regret? Hahaha!" Jwa Po Du laughed heartily, clutching his stomach as if it was genuinely amusing. "You will really regret it." You’ll see just how much you’ll regret this soon. I've explained everything I could. You're really going this far over a bribery request? "This barbarian seems desperate to meet Yeomra Daewang today. Fine, today I am your Okhwang Sangje and Yeomra Daewang. Get out there and stoke the flames high in the grate!" "Yes! Understo... huh? You can't come in here!" Are they finally taking action now? A surprised voice of a Po Kwae came from the doorway. "Move!" The sound of footsteps, heavy with anger, drew closer. "Who is it? Huh?" "Jwa Po Du, you scoundrel!!!!" "Chong Podu! Wh-why is someone so busy as you here? Gah!" Looking up, I saw Jwa Po Du executing what seemed like a triple axel that would make any figure skating queen weep, as he slammed into the wall. "Kang Gongja! Are you hurt?" A middle-aged man with a bandit's beard grabbed my shoulder with a rough hand. “Ugh….” You're gripping it too tightly, it hurts. “What was Jwa Po Du up to! What are you all doing! Release his bindings, quickly!” “Yes, we’ll release him immediately!” With the sudden arrival of Chong Podu, the Po Kwaes, trembling, quickly untied my restraints. "Quickly, get Kang Gongja to a bed and fetch a doctor!" "Yes, right away. Kang Gongja, this way!" “Chong Podu, what on earth is happening? Gah!” As I followed the Po Kwaes toward the exit, I could still hear the furious voice of Chong Podu from behind. "Has this fool gone mad?! Laying hands on the prospective grandchild-in-law of Mangumjeon’s heir and the son-in-law of Jegal Seka!” “What?!” I told you. You’d regret it.