446 - The Outcast Writer of a Martial Arts Visual Novel

Everyone has fights they cannot back away from. "You're saying Un-hyun is stronger than Dang Jeong? That's absurd!" "Why is it absurd? Are you claiming Dang Jeong is stronger than Un-hyun?" "Of course he is!" A newcomer at the Daseo Meeting cast a stone into the calm waters. At first, it was a mere ripple. The debate over which of Ho Pil's novel protagonists was stronger—an assumption many took for granted—erupted into a fierce argument, and the ripples grew into waves. "A person from Hubei siding with the scheming clan from a remote village in Sichuan over the prestigious Mudangpa!" Mudangpa stood as the beacon of righteousness and pride of Hubei, a Taoist sect that commanded respect both as a religious and martial order. One of the Daseo Meeting members frowned, as if Mudangpa had been insulted. "Scheming clan, huh! Watch your mouth!" "Did I say something incorrect?" "Dang Jeong is a model Hyup Gaek, unlike those schemers. How could you make such a comparison?" While it's acknowledged that Dang Ga includes cunning schemers, they wouldn't tolerate disrespect toward Dang Jeong. Although Daseo Meeting was split into two factions, everyone nodded in agreement. "I admit that was a slip of the tongue! But how can you claim the martial arts of Mudangpa are inferior to those of the schemers?" "Even Amipa and Cheongseongpa from Sichuan, both pillars of the old martial order, yield to Szechuan's Dang Ga. What is there to be inferior about?" Unlike Jegeol Se-ga, which failed to control Wuhan, the capital of Hubei, Sichuan's Dang Ga had succeeded in seizing the capital of Sichuan. A feat unachieved even by Cheongseongpa or Amipa, key factions of the old martial order. "It's because they are secular martial families, that's why! Their martial arts shouldn't be undervalued. Furthermore, in Sichuan, the revered ones are none other than the old martial order's Amipa and Cheongseongpa!" While Dang Ga's might was undeniable, their influence was overshadowed by the old martial order. Though a clear fact, it didn't matter to the Daseo Meeting members on Dang Jeong's side. "Hmph. That's the typical excuse from those who aren't number one." One member of the Daseo Meeting smirked with a raised corner of his mouth. "What are you saying now!" "Stop it. You're about to start a fight. Why are we having an unnecessary argument in the first place?" Though the Daseo Meeting was divided into camps siding with Dang Jeong and Un-hyun, there were also those who didn't belong to either and tried to stop the argument. "Unnecessary? Dang Jeong and Un-hyun are contemporaries. There's clearly meaning in this." "Precisely. This is what Ho Pil intended. Otherwise, why would there be two warriors in the same era?" "Ugh." The stone had already been cast. Even the members trying to halt the debate knew it wasn't simply about quarreling. If it were, everyone's faces would have been flushed with anger. Instead, the faces of the Daseo Meeting members were filled with the delight of a new form of entertainment. Who is stronger, Dang Jeong or Un-hyun? It was a naturally interesting topic. Avid readers argued passionately, backing their favored characters with reasons and facts from the novel. They showcased their knowledge, acted out of affection for their favorite characters, and flaunted their love for the novel. Within their factions, these debates bonded the members closer. What debate could be more enjoyable than this? "Un-hyun could never match Dang Jeong. He isn't a schemer, after all. How would he handle poison?" The debate continued. "Is Un-hyun an average person? The moment his opponent tries something with poison, their heads would roll." "Right. By the time his enemy uses poison, Un-hyun would have decapitated three more villains!" "Ah, truly the finest Hyup Gaek in Ho Pil's novels. Very much like Un-hyun." The faction supporting Un-hyun clapped along with the agreement. "What about nimbleness? Dang Jeong's famed agile skill involves speed!" "Ack! Nimbleness..." "If his darts are as fast as the wind and laced with poison, surely Un-hyun couldn't handle it." The faction claiming Un-hyun's supremacy was cornered. Un-hyun does not focus on swift swordplay. Meanwhile, Dang Jeong employs the fast and decisive concealed weapons of Dang Ga. How to mount a counter-argument? A member supporting Un-hyun nodded after a long pause. "It's fine. He deflected it." "What?!" "Concealed weapons as swift as wind? To Un-hyun, who mastered Mudangpa's Bagua Sword Technique, they are just a breeze." In response to the bold claim from Un-hyun's supporters in the Daseo Meeting, their allies cheered in unison. "Indeed!" "Ah, it's you again. Truly the finest Hyup Gaek in Ho Pil's novels. Just like Un-hyun!" If it's Un-hyun, he can do it. Any shortcomings can be compensated by the Daseo Meeting's love. Even the other members nodded in agreement. "Will you continue to make such baseless claims?" "What baseless claims? Is Mudangpa's grandmaster's final insight in the Bagua Sword insignificant?" "Even if imbued with the grandmaster's insights, Un-hyun's achievements are underwhelming. He can't even manage a thousand variations, let alone ten thousand." "Ugh!" "And what about Dang Jeong? He is a martial artist praised even by Dang Ga's warriors, carving his own path. He has the qualities of a grandmaster!" "Ugh!" "Haha. Better just admit it." "Un-hyun is a Hyup Gaek who turns the impossible into possible! He becomes strongest in a crisis. There must be a solution!" "Really? So, how will he defend against the poison-laden area?" While it's true that Un-hyun is a promising prodigy of Mudangpa, Dang Jeong had already surpassed the same level that Un-hyun was striving for. Dang Jeong's supporters asked the opposing faction incredulously. "Poison-laden area?" "Come on, enter the poison zone! How could Un-hyun stop it?" The poison-laden zone—the secret technique of Dang Jeong, feared even by the greatest evil figures. How could Un-hyun overcome it? It's an insurmountable challenge. This is a debate that should never have existed in the first place. How could anyone think Dang Jeong is beneath Un-hyun? Those claiming Un-hyun's superiority must not have read the novel properly. Just as a smile of victory was about to grace the faces of the Dang Jeong supporters— "If he just stays back until the poison area deactivates, that's the end of it." A masterful counter was launched. "What?!" "You could have some grilled meat for breakfast, enjoy a leisurely cup of tea, and by then the poison area should be over. Then you just move in when they're exhausted." Why walk into certain death? There's no woman to save here. A Daseo Meeting member from the Un-hyun camp shrugged and remarked. "You! What nonsense is this!" A fellow member watched Chin Woo with a bewildered expression. "Why? Do you think I'm speaking nonsense as well?" Chin Woo, though part of the Un-hyun camp, seemed to believe there was no answer to the poison area. Yet the perplexed member shook his head and responded. "Un-hyun is not just an ordinary martial artist; he doesn't eat cooked meals (hwasik) in the morning, as it makes one sluggish." "Ah, then he'd just snack on a salad and stay put even longer!" "Ha ha! Exactly!" A perfect ally to bolster the lacking argument. "Did you even read the third volume? The poison area moves now." "You can carry a salad with you, it's light!" "What are you even saying?!" Would Dang Jeong win against Un-hyun if they clashed? Or would it be Un-hyun? The fiery debate continued to heat up the Daseo Meeting, drawing countless members back to the meeting place each day. *** "Why? What's going on at the Daseo Pavilion?" I had been too busy to drop by the Daseo Pavilion for a few days, but why was the atmosphere so heated? "Kang Manager, take a look over there." Ha So So pointed to a corner on the second floor. That's where the Daseo Meeting folks usually sit, isn't it? I turned my attention there, lending an ear to the unfolding event in the corner. "We've brought my cousin! He learned martial arts from a school founded by one of the offspring of the Mudangpa lineage!" "What? I came along because you promised me a meal. And I've only taken a couple of lessons; I'm not part of the school." "You scoundrels, bringing a martial artist to intervene!" "Brother, could you give us your take? Who appears stronger to you: Sichuan's Dang Jeong or the heir to Mudangpa, the next generation's pioneering talent and Ho Pil's greatest Hyup Gaek—Un-hyun?" "Who's stronger, a Mudangpa warrior or someone from Dang Ga? Obviously—" "Hold on. Cousin, have you read both 'The Winds of Dang Ga' and 'The Martial Hero's Chronicle'?" "Uh… the thing is... I haven't read them. I just came because he said he'd lend them to me." "So you brought someone who hasn't even read the novels to stir up trouble. Get ready." "I'm on it." "Wait? Why are you taking out a yoke! Sorry! My mistake!" "We don't forgive troublemakers who haven't read the novels!" Seriously, where do they even keep pulling out these yokes from? So another potential troublemaker bites the dust. "Is this a debate about who the main character is, or who's stronger?" I turned to So So and asked. "It would be fine if it was just a debate. But lately, it's getting heated, with people getting really worked up and shouting. It seems too overheated," So So lamented worriedly. Who knew releasing two novels at the same time would cause this? I remember debating about which of my favorite robots as a kid was stronger, just reading comparison articles. Is the former protagonist stronger? Or the latter? Or maybe a rival? As a pilot, the previous generation might have been stronger, but with superior powers, the latter could surpass them upon maturation. I spent days debating with others through comments. "So So, did you prepare what we talked about?" A good timing to bring out what I had in mind. "Yes, should I get things ready now?" "I'll speak with the Daseo Meeting folks from Wuhan. Bring it out once you're prepared." If the Daseo Pavilion is heated thanks to novels, it'd be fitting to use that heat to boil some water, right? I entrusted the task to So So and approached the Daseo Meeting members engrossed in the intense debate.