Martial arts training requires consistency.
Of course, once you reach a certain level, it doesn’t matter if you come back from playing the latest game and slap a boss with a broken sword like those undead. But for amateurs like me, maintaining my senses through steady practice was essential.
Thud!
The hidden knife hits the distant target precisely. The subsequent throws also find their mark dead on.
It was another typical martial arts training session, but the feeling of hitting the target exactly as planned was always enjoyable.
“You’ve improved.”
“Chief of the Medical Department!”
Turning at the familiar voice, I saw the Chief of the Medical Department looking at me with a mix of admiration.
“Were you training in martial arts?”
“Well, it could be called training, or just warming up, depending on how you want to look at it.”
I mean, even Miss Im Ha-yeon and Miss Zhuge would be impressed with this skill.
Some say that certain people are born with a talent that comes a millennium too late. If I had known I had these abilities, I might have tried dart throwing as well. I’d become popular at the tavern, charming the ladies…
No, that wouldn’t work either.
As I started to boast a bit, the Chief of the Medical Department looked at me with a strange gaze.
“Well, blood doesn’t lie…”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Your father would often practice martial arts alone when his heart was troubled.”
Isn’t that something every martial artist does? If you don’t swing a sword on a moonlit night, can you really call yourself a martial artist?
I didn’t choose to point that out. I was an illegitimate child of the Tang Family. Now that my father was mentioned, I could just answer with a slightly pointed tone.
“What can I possibly do right now? I should focus on calming my anxious heart.”
I kicked at the sand on the ground as I spoke.
“Waiting for the right moment is also the stance of a martial artist.”
“While I prefer making that moment rather than waiting for luck to strike.”
I’m not a martial artist waiting for an opportunity; I’m a merchant setting the stage. Just as I tried to draw a line with the Tang Family, the Chief of the Medical Department asked something else.
“I saw you using a marvelous technique. Who taught you?”
“I learned it from my fiancée.”
“…So it seems the Zhuge Family has gone to great lengths to tie you up.”
Not the silver-haired fiancée, but the one with pink hair.
It seems the confusion was due to the Shadowless Body Technique being mixed with the martial arts from a prestigious sect like the Kunlun sect.
Learning a family martial art means being recognized as part of that family. To the Chief of the Medical Department, it must look like the Zhuge Family is maneuvering to win me over.
Fine. There’s no need to correct the misunderstanding.
“I persisted and learned it. In a world where many are coming at you with swords, you can’t just sit still.”
“…”
Chief of the Medical Department, you can always ask us for help whenever you need it. Please don’t look at me with that bitter expression.
“I left on my own accord. No need for you to feel sorry.”
It’s me who’d be in trouble if I got too entangled with the Tang Family. I smiled like an illegitimate child with no attachment to the family.
“By the way, why did you call me? You should have brought along other martial artists too.”
Pointing where he indicated, I saw the Tang Family’s martial artists standing there.
“It’s only natural for an author to be curious about the readers’ reactions. How was it? Was Zhuge Seolrok worth reading?”
“I was impressed.”
“Chief of the Medical Department?”
That was a very immediate response. I was slightly taken aback.
“I can understand why you said you wrote it according to your own intention.”
“I didn’t say that.”
Good. He seems to have understood. There was a reason I just told him to wait for the right moment and acted with a soft demeanor.
“Master Kang! Everyone is praising it.”
“Tang Baek-ho!”
The martial artists from the Tang Family approached, as if they had been waiting for this moment.
“I couldn’t predict anything from beginning to end!”
“It was the first text I’ve ever seen!”
“Truly Ho Pil! To think you could write something like this after Chronicles of the Wind and Cloud Heroes!”
“Who could have imagined you would write something like this! Is it true that you wrote it based on your experiences while working as Ho Pil?!!”
“I may have exaggerated a bit, but there’s some truth to it,” I said with a slight chuckle and a nod.
“It’s truly astonishing! So much so that the fact it’s a standalone completion feels regrettable.”
Amid the excited voices, I noticed someone flinching in the background. Someone’s movements slowed, and some froze.
I didn’t show any indication and gladly replied.
“To write the next volume, there’s no way around it.”
“Well, there are other important matters to consider.”
It’s a tale of the rise of the Tang Family. But depending on how interpreted, it could lead to ambiguous conversations. I pointed towards the guest room.
“Let’s not linger here and go in for some tea.”
——
“I had fun while I was here.”
“If there’s work to be done, please contact me separately.”
“Take care.”
After seeing off the people of the Tang Family and returning to my room, Gil-san entered as if he had been waiting.
“Why did you suddenly call the Tang Family members? Were you really looking for a novel review?”
Of course not. I shook my head.
“Originally, it’s important to throw wood into the fire.”
“Huh? What do you mean by that?”
“It’s rumored that the young master of the Tang Family is hanging out with notable names. Are they deciding on their future? There’s hardly anything more interesting than gossiping about someone.”
Depending on the situation, just having a cup of tea can make it to the headlines.
“Did you call them on purpose to show off?”
“Would I just call them over as a group for nothing? Imagine the sight of pink-haired folks storming our lodging among the silver-haired ones; what would people think?”
My story was currently the top talking point of Zhuge Family. Just the Tang Family’s martial artists visiting my lodging in a group would instantly spread the gossip.
“Well…”
That wasn’t all.
“This lodging also has ears that listen and eyes that see.”
I didn’t just start a conversation in the bustling courtyard for nothing. The Zhuge Family’s staff would become my voice, replacing me.
Even if they didn’t intentionally spy, they couldn’t help but hear things while working.
Zhuge Seolrok’s standalone completion. Rumors that the Sichuan Tang Family is targeting Zhuge Seolrok would continue to circulate.
That was my intention.
“The Tang Family’s martial artists have gathered.”
“What?!”
“It seems they had a private conversation about future matters. They also mentioned Zhuge Seolrok’s standalone completion.”
“Wow! How could that be!”
In the Head Family’s Hall of the Zhuge Family, a few aides to the Head of Family gathered around a table, discussing the current biggest sensation in the family.
“The Head of Family is here.”
As the door opened, the aides immediately got up. Zhuge Geuk, who had been out of sight for days, finally made his appearance.
“Welcome!”
“Have you all gathered? Thank you for your hard work during my sudden absence.”
“It’s nothing. We merely did what we were supposed to.”
The Head of Family nodded and listened to the reports from the past few days. I had already heard it from the head steward, but there were things that needed to be addressed before delving into sensitive topics.
“The reason I called you all here is that I want to talk about my daughter.”
As soon as business was concluded, the Head of Family cautiously broached the main subject.
“If it’s about Miss Zhuge Hyang…”
Excluding the head steward, who sat stoically, everyone else turned their eyes away, looking troubled.
“Of course, the decision lies with me. However, I thought it was necessary to open my ears to hear your opinions.”
“…”
Even after the Head of Family finished speaking, it was only natural for those gathered to glance at one another, gauging each other’s reactions.
Marriage is a matter of grave importance for the family. It’s something that the head, the father, must decide. The elders of the family may offer advice, but it would be impolite for lower-ranking members to dictate the terms.
Even with the permission of superiors, it was something that shouldn’t be touched lightly due to its sensitive nature.
“Is it uncomfortable to talk about?”
“Do you already have a direction in mind?”
The only one maintaining a calm expression, the chief steward, asked. To what extent had the Head of Family thought this through? How did he want to resolve this issue? I could at least pretend to give advice based on that.
Zhuge Geuk answered with a serious tone to the chief steward’s question.
“I’m even considering a cancellation of the engagement.”
“…!”
The eyes of everyone in attendance widened in unison.
“No, it wouldn’t even be a cancellation since it wasn’t even an official engagement in the first place.”
“Ah, that’s true!”
“Why does everyone look so surprised?”
The awkward expressions that had been present vanished, replaced by a change in countenance. Could it be that they didn’t realize what kind of decision he could actually make?
Zhuge Geuk asked his aides.
“There’s no need to think too emotionally about this…”
“It’s a conclusion I’ve considered rationally.”
The issue was far too entangled. This wasn’t just about marriage; it had the potential to escalate into a family feud.
Zhuge Geuk was both the father of his daughter and the head of the family. It was perhaps wise to cut things off before they got worse.
As the Head of Family, this was a sufficiently rational thought.
“…”
The aides, while hearing this, were showing expressions that seemed anything but rational.
“Speak frankly. I will listen.”
“If we were to break off the engagement, all issues would be easily resolved.”
“Chief Steward!”
The aides looked at the chief steward, who always offered rational answers, with unease as he spoke.
“If we were to cancel the engagement, then Man Geum-jeon’s actions would appear as reckless in pursuit of a successor, and Lady Jang’s actions could be downplayed as minor deviations, swiftly resolving misunderstandings with the Tang Family.”
“I concur.”
In the end, were we really going to have to think about canceling the engagement? Zhuge Geuk was about to nod in agreement.
“However, that’s purely a theoretical discussion.”
The chief steward’s chilling counterargument erupted from his mouth, slicing into the Head of Family’s thoughts.
“Theoretical discussion, you say?”
“Whether the Tang Family would acknowledge it is a separate issue. No matter what we say, we might come off as hasty in trying to remedy the situation.”
“Ah, it could be seen as trying to cover up a mistake while pretending nothing happened.”
Rather than being a misunderstanding, it could look like we were forced to remedy the situation when caught. We could even exacerbate the misunderstandings further.
As Zhuge Geuk fell into thought, the chief steward quickly signaled to another person without the Head of Family noticing.
‘Hurry and support me!’
The external steward read the look in their eyes and spoke up immediately.
“Indeed. It may only benefit the Tang Family.”
“Chief Steward.”
“The Tang Family will likely use this incident as a reason to strike at the Zhuge Family. We could end up losing everything without gaining a thing.”
The external steward’s voice sounded somewhat urgent.
“Is what the external steward saying that we’d have to endure losses to gain something valuable?”
“Ah! No, that’s not it. I was merely worried that Man Geum-jeon and Lady Jang would suffer losses.”
“That’s a dilemma I’m also struggling with.”
Even if a line is drawn, remnants remain. If the arrows aimed at my wife and father-in-law were to return to me, that would be the way it is.
Even if I had no fault in the situation. Zhuge Geuk answered with a worried expression.
“Ahem! I hope you also consider the position of Miss Zhuge Hyang.”
When the Head of Family showed weakness, someone who had been keeping their mouth shut finally spoke up.
“Hyun-won Dae.”
Zhuge Geuk turned to look at Hyun-won Dae, who had brought Kang Yoon-ho and Zhuge Hyang from Wuhan.
“If we were to ruin this engagement now, only the fact that Miss Zhuge Hyang was the youngest daughter of the Zhuge Family who lived with another man would remain.”
“Do you think someone like me couldn’t help cover that up?”
“I’m not saying we should split them for no reason.”
“The way you’re saying this, it’s unlike you, Hyun-won Dae, who initially wanted to bring her in.”
“You said that Great Master Kang was defaming him, while Miss Zhuge Hyang replied that he wasn’t that kind of person. I’ve seen Miss Zhuge Hyang for a long time, but I’ve never seen an expression like that.”
“…”
The daughter’s future. The daughter’s love. To a doting father, those would be painful weaknesses.
‘What the hell is everyone doing? Speak up already!’
By this point, nobody could be unaware of how the situation was turning or what kind of glances everyone was exchanging.
Except for the Head of Family, who seemed lost in thought.
“This might even be a good thing.”
“A good thing?”
“If it means marrying the son of the Tang Family, wouldn’t it kind of symbolize a marital alliance with the Tang Family? It will be a great help in advancing martial arts matters in the future.”
“Becoming in-laws with Tang Baek-ho…”
“Of course, we would need to coordinate things regarding this marriage, but resolving misunderstandings would not necessarily be a bad thing either.”
The aides couldn’t directly suggest that it was okay to have an additional fiancée or that mistakes should be forgiven. They couldn’t say anything that might irritate the Head of Family.
What would be to their advantage? How would others feel? What might be the better way?
What the aides were doing was simply weighing the situation as they always had.
However, there was one notable difference.
‘Whatever it is, we must stop the engagement!!!’
They all placed a heavy weight on one side of the scale.
