“Tang Seolrok?”
Not long after starting the public opinion battle, I heard an unexpected rumor from Gil-san.
“Right. Tang Seolrok. People are going crazy thinking Zhuge Seolrok could become Tang Seolrok.”
“I didn’t say to spread such rumors.”
Master Kang’s harem declaration. Our Zhuge family has to acknowledge it. I only asked Hyun-won Dae to talk about the unavoidable circumstances.
Plus, I added a bit of fright regarding the second volume of Zhuge Seolrok.
“Really? I thought you were going beyond threatening with the next volume to outright say you’d change surnames.”
“How do you see people? There are lines as a writer. I wouldn’t do such a thing.”
Tang Seolrok is entirely new to me.
“What’s there to see? You seem like the type who jumps rope with lines.”
“…….”
Gil-san. It’s true I did threaten the readers with the next volume. It’s also true I voted on who the main consort is through tricks.
But I do have a subtle conscience as a writer.
I’m going to kill off characters in front of the readers. Or threaten them. Because of the writer’s ideology, the heroine you thought was white could actually be black. I wouldn’t change my words like that.
Somehow, the more I think about it, the more it feels like I’m jumping rope with lines.
“Just in case. If we break off the engagement, Zhuge Seolrok’s position gets ambiguous. Tang Seolrok doesn’t sound like a bad idea.”
“I wrote Zhuge Seolrok because I was told to write the protagonist of the Zhuge family. Just like I would never think about breaking off the engagement, Zhuge Seolrok will never become Tang Seolrok.”
Zhuge Seolrok is Zhuge Seolrok. No matter what happens, he will not become Tang Seolrok.
“Is that so? So rumors spread because there’s a fiancée in the Tang family.”
“Somewhere else, another story could have leaked.”
There might have been rumors where Ho Pil is said to be the son of the Tang Family Head.
“Well, it’s not an unbelievable rumor. So? Are you going to ask the Tea and Book Club, or no, the people from Hyun-won Dae to correct it?”
“I wish for more misunderstandings.”
Why? I shrugged and answered.
“Just a moment ago, you spoke of having lines as a writer.”
“I didn’t cross the line. It’s the readers who are anxious and chatter away. At times like this, just shut your mouth and misunderstand freely. Thank you. I’m hiding my smile behind my hand.”
“Well, it does benefit me, so I don’t need to stop it.”
I chuckled at Gil-san’s understanding expression and nodded. It’s a public opinion battle. There’s no need to respond to rumors that benefit me.
“I can’t stop it. There’s no need to stop it either. Wait a moment… No, that’s not right.”
Right. There was that method. I hurriedly stood up.
“Where are you going?”
“Follow me.”
——
“Are you saying you’ll give me Zhuge Seolrok as a gift?”
As I headed straight for the Tang family’s lodging, Tang Pae greeted me.
“Didn’t everyone rush over from the far-off Sichuan Tang Family because of me? I thought it fitting to express my gratitude by giving you my new novel.”
Behind me was a stack of books enough for the Tang family members to read if they passed them around.
“I only acted under the orders of the Head of the Family.”
Tang Pae waved his hands with a bitter smile. A polite refusal. I wonder why.
“This novel is something that can’t be found in the Zhuge family lately. It’s a novel I wrote with quite a bit of confidence.”
“Reading this novel….”
I saw the Tang family’s martial artists poking their heads around, looking puzzled.
“What! Ho Pil’s new work?!”
“I was wondering why the Zhuge family has been so noisy lately. So it’s because of that novel.”
“But isn’t that what it is? Haven’t you heard?”
“Everyone, be quiet.”
“Don’t you dislike it?”
As I urged once more, Tang Pae glanced at Zhuge Seolrok and opened his mouth.
“Isn’t this the novel that the Zhuge family threatened Master Kang to write? How could we read such a novel?”
I wondered why. Was it a political reason?
“I might have been forced to sit for the exam, but I raised the brush in the end.”
“Even so…”
It’s fine. I wrote it voluntarily. About 50% so, you know. With a friendly expression, I directed my gaze at the Tang family’s martial artists who were eagerly waiting behind me.
“I think others might feel a bit differently.”
“Hmm!”
“It’ll be fun. It’s also good for unwinding after a journey.”
With a small sigh at my persistent suggestions, Tang Pae finally spoke.
“Of course, it’s rude to keep refusing a gift….”
“Haha! I’ll leave it here. And could you do me a small favor?”
“What kind of favor?”
Having achieved half of my objective, it was time to reach the other half. I carefully started.
“Isn’t Tang Family Wind a banned book from the Zhuge family?”
“I’ve heard. How ridiculous! Even if they’re jealous of our Tang family!”
As soon as Tang Pae heard the banter about the banned book, he raised his voice in indignation.
“How envious must they be of Tang Family Wind to threaten Master Kang?!”
“Typical of them, plotting in their little corners!”
Even the other Tang family martial artists surrounding Zhuge Seolrok did not bother to hide their anger.
Good. I smiled bitterly and continued speaking.
“Now, given the situation, the Elders’ Council won’t treat it as a banned book, but it’s still tough to openly seek out Tang Family Wind due to the atmosphere beforehand.”
Tang Family Wind had been designated as a banned book by the Elders’ Council. But now the Elders’ Council supports me. No one can criticize those who read Tang Family Wind anymore.
The problem is that because of the Elders’ Council’s face, it will take time to officially lift the ban.
“They’ll figure it out among themselves.”
I spoke to the scoffing Tang Pae like I was asking for a favor.
“I’d appreciate it if you could help out a bit. I’ll leave Tang Family Wind with you, so if anyone from the Tea and Book Club comes, please distribute a few copies.”
“Us?”
The lodging where the Tang family’s martial artists were living becomes a kind of diplomatic extraterritorial area.
After “Chronicles of the Wind and Cloud Heroes,” now with Zhuge Seolrok, it becomes the only channel to obtain the hit writer’s previous works together.
One small problem is the expressions asking why the Tang family should go to such lengths.
I opened my mouth with a dignified expression as the son of the Tang Family Head, and not as Ho Pil, Myung Po-kwae, or the successor of Man Geum Battlefield.
“The pride of the Zhuge family martial artists, whether they have it or not, comes here to seek Tang Family Wind from the Tang family. Isn’t that a pretty amusing situation?”
“……!”
Everyone immediately showed expressions of it being interesting.
“Due to ‘Chronicles of the Wind and Cloud Heroes’ being absent, there’s also a situation where Zhuge Seolrok can’t be obtained. Surely there are people interested in Tang Family Wind.”
“Truly…! Understood. Leave it to us!”
“Thank you very much.”
I entrusted all of Zhuge Seolrok and Tang Family Wind and left the lodging.
“Why are you suddenly giving Zhuge Seolrok to the Tang family?”
“To give wings to the rumors.”
“What do you mean?”
There’s such a thing.
“Why is there no next volume?!”
A little later, screams echoed through the lodging where the Tang family martial artists were staying.
“How could such a piece of writing come from a book written under compulsion?!”
“A detective? I’ve never seen or heard of such a story!”
“Now I understand why Master Kang said he picked up the brush himself. How could this novel be written against one’s will?!”
“Indeed Ho Pil! He’s truly exceptional!”
The praises from the Tang family members never ceased.
I thought I could look down on the Zhuge family’s story, but who would have guessed it would turn out like this? I underestimated it. I thought Zhuge Seolrok would be similar to ‘Chronicles of the Wind and Cloud Heroes’ in quality.
The Tang family’s reactions were understandable in a sense.
Because in the Tang family, aside from the enjoyment of ‘Chronicles of the Wind and Cloud Heroes,’ there were some who harshly criticized it for being a work with colors stripped from the Colored Heroic Stories.
As expected, it was Ho Pil’s novel. Even after preparing my mind, I was still shocked, and I didn’t expect the shock to dissipate.
“I heard Master Kang solved the ghost ship incident in Wuhan.”
“What?! So this is based on a true story?!”
While the Tang family lodging buzzed with a novel, a silver-haired man cautiously approached the lodging, looking flustered.
“Is this perhaps….”
“With silver hair, uneasy eyes. Yet still searching for something. Are you someone from the Tea and Book Club?”
“Ah! That’s right.”
“Here’s the complete set of Tang Family Wind.”
“Th-thank you…”
“Ha! It’s nothing.”
A Zhuge family man sneaking around for our Tang family’s novel. The Tang family martial artist handing over the book felt a sudden pride.
“…….”
“Is there any other business?”
“Oh, no!”
The man shook his head, yet couldn’t take his eyes off the book everyone from the Tang family was holding.
The talked-about novel. Zhuge Seolrok, of course.
Whether a Zhuge family man had come or not, the Tang family’s martial artists were wrapped up in talking about the novel’s contents.
“A blood-detecting liquid. I heard that if you make a strong vinegar and mix it with a special agent, it reacts with blood.”
“It’s only possible when you pour blood. Isn’t it impossible for a blood-stained area to change color?”
“Wouldn’t it be possible if you mix in a specific agent? After all, wasn’t the triple poison ultimately impossible?”
“Indeed…”
“Isn’t this a brilliant idea of the Ho Pil writer? It could be possible for us.”
The Zhuge family man, while eavesdropping on the conversation, subtly asked the man who had given the copy of Tang Family Wind.
“I see you got Zhuge Seolrok.”
“Master Kang gave us our share. It’s certainly an impressive book.”
“Yes, I was so deeply impressed while reading Ho Pil’s novels, I took the liberty of coming to get Tang Family Wind.”
I thought it would be hard to obtain, yet to have it handed over? The Zhuge family man bowed his head again in thanks.
“Zhuge family must feel regretful. A novel like this is completed.”
A Tang family martial artist scoffed and spoke lightly.
“Completed? Are you talking about Zhuge Seolrok?”
“Yeah. Regrettably, Mr. Ho Pil should be writing Tang Family Wind.”
The Zhuge family man asked incredulously, while the Tang family martial artist confidently replied.
“…….”
“Why’s that?”
“Nothing… Thank you.”
The Tang family martial artist couldn’t figure out why the Zhuge family man turned away with a displeased expression.
——
“The rumors were true!”
The Zhuge family man who rushed out of the lodging panted heavily while recalling what had just transpired.
One: “A blood-detecting liquid.”
Two: “Isn’t this the idea of writer Ho Pil? It could be possible for us.”
Why are the Tang family fellows shouting about whether Zhuge Seolrok can or cannot?
“Completed? They say Zhuge Seolrok is completed?!”
What on earth does this mean? That Zhuge Seolrok is completed. Surely it hinted the appearance of Samma family and Mooyoung Shintu.
Naturally, the next volume was supposed to come out. Why are the Tang family saying it’s completed?
The man’s question was understandable.
The misunderstanding of the Sichuan Tang family was also understandable.
The book that Kang Yoon-ho gave to the Tang family was the remaining copy after printing the book for the Elders’ Council. That is, the first edition.
Thus, the words written at the end of the first edition seen by the Tang family members were:
[Zhuge Seolrok – The Secret of the Ghost Ship -]
[Complete (完).]
On the other hand, the words at the end of the second edition seen by the Zhuge family were:
[Written by me. In celebration of detective Kang Yoon-ho’s engagement.]
[Ho Pil.]
Kang Yoon-ho had not made any public announcements regarding the circulating rumors. But with just that one word difference at the end.
“Sichuan Tang family is aiming for Zhuge Seolrok!!!”
It was enough to create misunderstandings between them.
