Ch 361 - The Outcast Writer of a Martial Arts Visual Novel

Twin Moon – Part 1 "Have you heard the news about Ji Bu Dae In?" "I have! He was dragged away by the Inspector with tears streaming down his face!" The corrupt official, Ji Bu Dae In, who had been leeching off the people's hard-earned money, was finally apprehended and dragged away by the Inspector due to corruption charges. The fall of this notorious corrupt figure spread like wildfire, from the youngest child to the elderly confined to their homes, across the entirety of Hubei Province, beyond just my own city of Wuhan. "They say it was Mu Yeong Sin Tu who assisted the Inspector." "What? Are you serious?" "Absolutely! I heard Mu Yeong Sin Tu handed over critical evidence to the Inspector! Even the Inspector confirmed it!" "Goodness! So it wasn't the Inspector who captured him, but Mu Yeong Sin Tu who completely exposed Ji Bu Dae In!" "That's right! He completely unraveled everything!" A mysterious hero, appearing out of nowhere. A thief who sends a warning notice and brazenly steals from the corrupt officials. Just these two points alone were enough to startle the Hubei Province. Yet, the news that he helped the Inspector punish the infamous corrupt official had an unparalleled impact. "Wait a minute. Isn't this the story of Mu Yeong Sin Tu and Un Hyeon from the end of 'The Heroic Chronicles of Wind and Cloud'? Did Ho Pil Writer predict this?" "It's more of an epiphany than a prediction! He’s showing that to become a hero as a thief, you need to at least do this much!" "Ho Pil Writer is amazing, isn’t he? Who would've thought he'd turn a mere thief into a righteous hero!" "There was a lot of talk about whether the thief was inspired by Ho Pil Writer or not, but this incident has made it clear! He's mimicking Mu Yeong Sin Tu from 'The Heroic Chronicles of Wind and Cloud' exactly!" "If Mu Yeong Sin Tu was right in front of me, I'd recommend him as a member of the Shady Da Seo Hoi." Mu Yeong Sin Tu, 'The Heroic Chronicles of Wind and Cloud', Ho Pil Writer. Initially, these stories were only whispered about in Da Seo Gak, but now you couldn’t walk down the street without overhearing people chattering about the same thing. "Honestly, is there any man who doesn’t feel a thrill reading 'The Heroic Chronicles of Wind and Cloud’? My older brother who spent his life studying literature, after reading it a few days ago, went and got a wooden rod that looks like a sword and started waving it around!" "My cousin, who's a martial artist, praised it after reading 'The Heroic Chronicles of Wind and Cloud'!" "Even martial artists? Is that true?" "They said there's nothing wrong with it, except maybe the scene where Mu Yeong Sin Tu walks on water." Why not? Someone like Mu Yeong Sin Tu could surely walk on water. "Certainly, that was a bit over the top. Even as a master of the Goo-Pai School, I’ve never heard of walking on water." "Ho Pil Writer is still a writer, isn’t he? He's just adding a touch of exaggeration." In my wuxia novel, Mu Yeong Sin Tu walks on water. Being criticized for the setting of 'The Heroic Chronicles of Wind and Cloud'. Mu Yeong Sin Tu is a genius of lightweight footwork; it would be out of character if he couldn’t do that. I wanted to say something, but as a mature writer, I couldn’t ruin the fun my readers were having, so I resolved to gracefully hold back. "Manager Kang, why are your hands shaking?" It’s nothing. ——- "Why have you been counting the raffle tickets since earlier?" Despite Mu Yeong Sin Tu causing quite a stir, not everyone at Da Seo Gak was talking about him. "It's a secret." "How many raffle tickets are there? Why aren't you putting them in the box?" One Da Seo Hoi member asked as he saw others organizing a pile of raffle tickets. I was curious too. If there are raffle tickets, you should just put them in; why are they collecting them? I feigned doing something else while straining to listen. "We're waiting for the right moment." "Waiting for the right moment?" "We've made an incredible discovery." "What do you mean? Let me in on it." "This is top-tier intelligence we can't share easily..." "Three 'Spirited Benevolence' sets enough?" "For that, I suppose I can’t withhold it. Look at that raffle box over there." Is there some flaw in my business strategy? I nonchalantly approached them with a dry cloth, pretending to wipe tables while listening in. "The box?" "People are fooled into thinking the box is small, but if you intentionally fill it with raffle tickets, 1,000 can easily fit." "That's true. Maybe even 2,000, right?" "Regular winners keep popping up, so people have hope and continue stuffing tickets, but in reality, the odds of winning are next to none." Such a sneaky airing of facts. Already reeks of a black consumer. "And what does that have to do with counting the tickets?" The member holding the tickets looked around before whispering to only those nearby. "Putting in a few tickets here and there won't get you anywhere. So, we’re aiming for a one-time strike." "A one-time strike?" "We're forming a small group to consolidate all of our raffle tickets. When the box is nearly full, we plan to layer our tickets over an entire tier of the box." "The odds of winning will skyrocket then!" "We call this making a ceiling with money in the raffle box, a 'charged ceiling'." The Da Seo Hoi member explained, his eyes sparkling as if he’d made a great invention. "The thicker we make the ceiling, the higher the guarantee that someone in our group will win first place! Worst case, we can visit a friend's house to see it! I’m aiming to get the scene of Un Hyeon’s moment of enlightenment!" "I want the scene of Jin So Yu So Jeo leaning on Un Hyeon’s shoulder!" "Tsk tsk. Isn't the best scene clearly where Mu Yeong Sin Tu falls for Un Hyeon?" "Oooh! Count me in!" Fortunately, this month's sales seem safe. ————————- "What are you doing on the grass under the moonlight?" Ha Yeon So Jeo appeared out of nowhere, finding me practicing my footsteps on the grass in the inner courtyard. "You startled me. You're back already?" Je Gal So Jeo was asleep, and Ha Yeon So Jeo had gone off to work, so I thought I'd give it a secret try, only to be caught. "I was watching you practice what seemed like light body techniques; it looked a bit peculiar." "Ha ha. Everyone keeps saying it's impossible. So I was putting to test whether the level described in 'The Heroic Chronicles of Wind and Cloud' is achievable." I answered, flashing an awkward smile. "Are you telling me you're trying to walk on water?" "It's obvious that walking on water is too much, but perhaps walking on grass without significantly damaging it, like the Featherlight Step, might be possible." A high-level content one acquires by perfecting the art of lightness, reaching the pinnacle. Featherlight Step, walking on grass without significantly harming it. Walking on water, Dengping Dushui (登萍渡水). Walking on snow without leaving traces, Dapseol Muheun (踏雪無痕). Walking in the air, Heogong Dabo (虛空踏步). What I was attempting was the most basic high-level content of light body technique, the Featherlight Step. "I think I get it." Ha Yeon So Jeo looked at me like a newbie challenging seasoned veteran content. Maybe I should have maxed out my level before attempting this. Still, the challenge of high-level content at a low level has its own charm. I thought I had a knack for it. If I just relax and land softly without applying force... "I recently reached Muyeong Shin Technique Level 2. Maybe I can... Whoa!" I immediately slipped. "Be careful!" In the blink of an eye, Ha Yeon So Jeo rushed over and caught me before I fell, with her arms around my back. More than twenty paces away, she came in a single stride. Truly impressive, just like Mu Yeong Sin Tu. "Maybe I should lose weight." If I got light enough to survive on dew alone, I might be able to do it. I muttered, feeling the comforting support behind my back. "It's not a level you can reach just by losing weight." A small sigh from Ha Yeon So Jeo, brushing past my temple, expressed her contemplation of dealing with this fool. It’s just because everyone kept saying it’s impossible that I felt challenged. "Ku-ku!" "Ku-ku? What's up?" Hearing the familiar cooing, I looked up and saw Gu Gu circling above us in the sky. "It seems we've got a letter from the Lord of Gi Moon." It really brought a letter. Gu Gu has been at Gi Moon for secure communications lately, so I hardly see it. "Let's go inside and read... Gu Gu, why—" "Koo-kooo!" Gu Gu didn’t perch on my or Ha Yeon So Jeo’s shoulder but landed gracefully on the grass, spreading its wings in what seemed like a boast. It must have seen me practicing. "Well, you're a bird, so of course you can stand on grass." I’m human, and you’re a pigeon, silly bird-brain. "Koo? Koo-kooo! Koo-koo-koo!" As I argued, Gu Gu, sounding almost amused, began hopping around on the grass with remarkable ease. "Gu Gu, you shouldn’t mock the owner." Ha Yeon So Jeo tried to dissuade it, but Gu Gu's show of Featherlight Step didn’t stop. Daring to challenge me, Gu Gu? I've fed and housed you for countless days, and now, just because you belong to another department, you mock your owner? I could laugh it off and tell Gu Gu how amazing it is, but... "Look, Gu Gu. The grass is bending under you. How much did you eat at Gi Moon to make grass bend under a bird's weight, hmmm? Soon, you’ll be befriending chickens." I am a man who gives his all even in the face of such small challenges. "Gu Gu...? Koo-kooo!" Gu Gu froze for a moment, inspected its own wings, and cooed at Ha Yeon So Jeo as if pleading against slander. Why so shocked? "Gu Gu, remember when you practiced your destructive beam and couldn’t even use it?" "Koo-kooo! Koo-koo-koo!" I don’t care how you think I should have used it. To me, it sounded just like that. Anyway, it’s 1 win, 1 loss. "Owner or bird..." Ha Yeon So Jeo looked at us pitifully, but I had no regrets with my 50% win rate. "It's because Gu Gu was mocking me." I am not at fault. When I get Gu Gu back from Gi Moon, I'll make sure to establish proper discipline. "Sigh. Gu Gu, give me the letter." "Koo!" Are you sulking? Gu Gu, perched on a branch in the little garden's center amongst the grass, simply turned away. Since it’s moonlit and if I stumble and crush any expensive plants, I might get kicked out when my lease expires and be asked to pay for them. What to do? Perhaps I should practice my Featherlight Step... "Gu Gu, hurry and give it." Ha Yeon So Jeo, viewing the time wasted as unfortunate, darted into the garden, snatched up Gu Gu, and came back. "Oh? Just now?" "Why, what?" Ha Yeon So Jeo seemed to avoid my gaze as though hiding something. "Featherlight Step? Can you do it, Ha Yeon So Jeo?" It was a fleeting moment, easily missed, but I was certain. She had definitely just stepped on the grass to snatch Gu Gu. "I did try it out while you explained the third volume of 'The Heroic Chronicles of Wind and Cloud'..." "And?" "It actually worked..." Ha Yeon So Jeo confessed, unable to meet my astonished gaze, with a blush tinting her cheeks in embarrassment. What? You criticized me for practicing, yet you’ve been doing it yourself. "My word... So can you do it over water too?" "N-no, that I can't do." You even experimented with that. "I have more reason now to diligently practice Muyeong Shin Technique." Challenge: Featherlight Step! I will indeed walk on grass! "Haa, that’s why I didn’t want to bring it up. If you're going to use Muyeong Shin Technique, do it over dirt. The gardeners who painstakingly tend to this garden must be suffering." Ha Yeon So Jeo surveyed the marks and the remnants of the once meticulously groomed plants left by the distressed caretakers. Sneaking a glance at the caretakers standing behind, I felt as though I could almost see the lasers shooting from their eyes. Next time, I’ll try it secretly. ——————– "What does the letter say?" Escaping the piercing glares of the caretakers, I entered the office, where I inquired with Ha Yeon So Jeo. "It says someone wants to meet you. And also..." A peculiar smile crept onto Ha Yeon So Jeo's lips. "And also?" I expected the meeting invitation, but could there be other good news? "A message has gone out to the executives of Twin Moon in Hubei Province." "A message from Twin Moon? Then, could it be...?" It’s not common for the entire province's executives to receive a simultaneous message. Only if it's crucial information that everyone needs to know. When I met her eyes with anticipation, Ha Yeon So Jeo nodded. "Yes. Word is spreading that a new Lord of Twin Moon might soon be appointed."