Sichuan Tang Family’s power struggle.
The protagonist, Deputy Head of Family, one day hears the news that his father and the elders supporting him were killed by a mysterious group.
While doing his Qi Breakfast, the protagonist experiences a twist of fate when a mysterious intruder attacks, causing his entire body’s energy to twist, falling into a state of agony.
The position of Head of Family goes to his uncle.
Despite suspicions that the uncle killed the protagonist’s father, he continues to take the Head of Family position, using the protagonist’s mother as a pawn.
The protagonist, dreaming of revenge in a crippled state, one day realizes he has talents in fields other than martial arts after a night with his aunt.
His ability turns every woman he beds into someone who can’t live without him. He decides to use this talent for revenge.
The Rise of the Tang Family. It begins now.
“I’d die if I wrote that.”
Did you see that book? It’s like the whole clan is a sex village. A sex village. The entire Sichuan Tang Family!
Now I understand why there are so many Tang Family members. Eating within the family itself! Learning about the culture of the Sichuan Tang Family, the rumor that a western clan created by them is the Habsburg Family turned out to be true.
Suspicious rumors will reach the ears of the Sichuan Tang Family, and they will seek out the source. Finding the Black-haired Barbarian running a successful bookstore in Yichang will be easy.
If they find me, there’s no need for a defamation lawsuit from the Tang Family. They’ll come with tears of emotion, bringing gifts for the author.
Should I prefer a knife stab as a gift? Or maybe a poison dart? If not, I have herbal medicine too. I’ll have them choose.
“Even if I write a romance, I need some safety measures.”
Even if I draw their attention to the Sichuan Tang Family, I mustn’t cross the line. The moment I cross it, it won’t be an eraser flying away; it’s my head on the line.
In this world, books based on actual martial arts sects or families existed.
The tales of the martial arts world were unpopular and had become the malignant stock of a 50-year-old bookstore, but it remained clear that they were consistent.
After all, wasn’t the adventure I wrote long ago, Chronicles of the Wind and Cloud Heroes, based on the Mount Wu sect? I’ve never heard of an author getting killed for writing such stories, so as long as I don’t cross the line, I’m fine.
The problem is how to avoid crossing the line while writing such romance novels.
“The protagonist of the martial arts novel. Even if he’s in a romance, he should be from the Tang Family and have overflowing righteousness.”
A protagonist from the Sichuan Tang Family.
Learning Stealth Techniques and Poison Techniques, filled with overflowing righteousness in his heart. Setting up a straightforward protagonist that is rare even in martial arts novels nowadays.
Even if the Sichuan Tang Family reads it, they’d think he’s a strange protagonist overflowing with righteousness, not acting paranoid or hysterical, and not scheming cowardly behind the scenes.
Writing a romance novel with such a protagonist instead of a martial arts story.
Using the main villain, of course.
“The main villain of a romance novel is definitely a Color Demon.”
A protagonist from the Tang Family, harboring righteous thoughts, steps into the world.
One day, he hears rumors that the Color Demon is rampaging, absorbing feminine energy by raping women. The protagonist begins to track him down to eliminate this Color Demon.
The Rise of the Tang Family follows the events as the protagonist pursues this Color Demon.
“A righteous protagonist accidentally gets caught up in lewd incidents while acting.”
The development will primarily follow a typical martial arts story but with added adult themes. The protagonist is doing righteous deeds when suddenly, lewd events occur.
Like a love comedy where the protagonist doesn’t aim for it, but when he bumps into the heroine, he ends up touching her chest and seeing her panties. However, the protagonist of The Rise of the Tang Family doesn’t stop at touching; he goes all the way.
“All the evil deeds will be done by the Color Demon while the protagonist benefits. That way, the Tang Family won’t come after me carelessly.”
Even modern famous businesspeople would love a drama made about them; they wouldn’t sue. In fact, some companies used dramas to market products like peanut cream snacks.
The same goes for The Rise of the Tang Family. The protagonist isn’t bad. Instead, he will savor the sweetness of the romance novel while becoming a well-known figure in the martial arts community.
If I write The Rise of the Tang Family well, the Sichuan Tang Family might shed tears of joy and come to award me for promoting the family. Perfect.
If they come to find me despite all this, I have a method prepared, but that’s a card I can play then.
For now, let’s write.
—————
“Ugh… It’s hard.”
As I was plotting and writing, Lady Tang opened the attic door and entered with her shoulders drooping.
“Thanks for your hard work. I should have helped with the cleaning, but I’m sorry.”
“No, you worked hard during the day, so I should at least do this.”
Lady Tang weakly responded and immediately collapsed onto the bed.
What a pity. I gazed at the seemingly motionless Lady Tang, who seemed exhausted.
She can’t stand at the first floor counter due to her looks. So, retired former employees come to help while taking care of the owner’s granddaughter.
Lady Tang is handling important ledger sorting and inventory management, but during peak hours, it’s undeniable that she seems relatively unoccupied.
Realizing this, she said she’d handle the cleaning after closing, but I can’t help but feel sorry.
I’ll hire someone when I have more time.
“Want me to give you a massage?”
“No. Write the book.”
“Okay. If you feel tired, just tell me.”
I turned my head back to start writing The Rise of the Tang Family again. In reality, such lewd events wouldn’t happen. It’s definitely a romance novel. And that’s why I love it. I need to write a story that sounds exciting.
“…Hey. Yoon Ho.”
Absorbed in my writing, Lady Tang called from behind. Was she watching me without sleeping? I could definitely feel her gaze.
“Yeah?”
“C-Could you do a little for me?”
What does she want me to do? As I pondered, Lady Tang, appearing shy, wriggled her body and laid flat.
So she was staring at me wanting a massage. She should’ve said so when I offered.
I was tired too, so maybe I should just stop writing here. I put the brush down and got up, heading to the bed where Lady Tang was lying.
“Do you want me to be a little rough?”
When I touched her calves, Lady Tang’s body twitched for a moment.
“…Be gentle, please.”
What’s “be gentle” now?
“I’ll be gentle.”
“Ehehe! Don’t touch my thighs.”
“No, but your thighs are the most tense….”
Or maybe her shoulders are the most tense?
“Eew! Hey! Where are you touching!…. Ehehe!”
She really has a lot of requests.
———————
A modernized bookstore, Da-seo-gak, where you can read as many books as you want.
The bookstore became bustling as soon as it opened.
“Manager. Are you listening to me?”
“Yes, I’m listening. Welcome.”
I silently listened to the words of a guest who entered right when Da-seo-gak opened, greeting incoming customers.
“I hate that you have to stamp your card everytime you buy a book. And if three friends come together, one gets in for free. How could anyone follow such a difficult rule? Just let us in for free after coming three times. Also, the name Da-seo-gak is a problem. It sounds rural. How about calling it Book….”
“Welcome! Would you like a café latte?”
“Are you listening to me?”
Was there more to say?
“Look over there.”
The guest pointed to three people clustering together, reading a book.
“Hm, they’re enjoying themselves with drinks and snacks.”
They were enjoying expensive coffee along with snacks delivered from another place. They keep ordering, even exceeding the one drink, one snack limit. They seem like guests who should come every day.
I looked at the guest with a look that said, “Why are you making a fuss when you had just one Americano this morning?”
“Ahem. If I drink two coffees a day, I can’t sleep… … Anyway! Those girls are making a ruckus, reading one book together and chattering. Isn’t that something you should regulate as the manager?”
“I did notice it, but they were just whispering, and it wasn’t particularly noisy.”
“No. With those flower-scented girls whispering nearby, I can’t concentrate, hence my words.”
Your distraction from the girls is something I can’t help. As for studying, do that elsewhere. This is a reading place.
“We’re even talking here, aren’t we?”
“Talking among friends isn’t a crime.”
“Haha. Customer, ‘friends’ you say. And this is a space for reading. If you want to study, wouldn’t it be better to do so where you usually do?”
From long experience, I’ve seen that trying to get chummy with the customers doesn’t end well.
“Hmm. Maybe we haven’t met enough to become friends… But honestly, the atmosphere of Da-seo-gak is great for studying. I think I could pass my next exam if I study here.”
“You might be a regular, but there could be others thinking similarly, so I’ll issue a warning. Yet, if it doesn’t improve, I’ll have to stamp your card once.”
“Really? Then, don’t just warn us, stamp it for us.”
“Yes. Then I will do that.”
“Hohoho. I’ve collected all 10 stamps, so give me an iced Americano.”
Hey, didn’t you say that if you drink two cups a day, you can’t sleep?
———-
“Hey, Hwa-rin. You’re not done yet?”
After finishing up on the second floor of Da-seo-gak, I talked to Lady Tang, who was still busy cleaning.
“If you finish your work, you should go upstairs.”
Lady Tang said while lifting a pile of books in a corner.
“Let me carry some. Wow. These are all adult novels. They really sell well.”
One by one, we arranged various adult novels on the empty table.
“Yeah. They’re doing well.”
“If I could write books and be this successful, that would be nice.”
“Haha. It’s not easy to be that successful.”
“Hmm? Are you laughing? If I put my book on this table, it would sell out in just one day.”
I subtly hinted that once my book comes out, I’m planning to take up the whole table for promoting it.
“Haha. Sure, good luck with that.”
Lady Tang looked at me like a sister looking at a boy declaring he will become a super robot.
Suddenly feeling challenged, I wanted to write even harder.
“Since you’re almost done, head upstairs first. I’ll handle the clean-up.”
“If you want to do it together…”
“Rest. You’ve been so tired that your shoulders are sore.”
How tired must she be when a martial artist with energy is exhausted? I gently pushed her toward the stairs, grasping her sore shoulders.
“No, the sore shoulders aren’t for that reason…”
“Just rest.”
I sent her up to the attic and began tidying up the first floor.
It’s great that sales are good, but cleaning up is taking ages. People really should put the books back after looking at them.
Putting the books back?
“I messed up!”
I hastily abandoned the scattered books and dashed up to the attic.
I rushed into the attic, but the situation had already escalated.
Lady Tang regarded me seriously, holding a pile of papers in her hand.
“Hey. Yoon Ho. What is this…?”
