“What on earth is this book like that my friend caused such a ruckus over it?”
Hwang Seong quickly calmed his excited friend down in the next room and turned his gaze back to The Rise of the Tang Family.
No matter how many recommendations he got, his friend had shown no interest in the book, yet here he was, coming at night because of the next volume.
What is this book about?
The store manager called it a Colored Heroic Story. Is it really true that when such novels are released in Joseon, people flock to bookstores like it’s a market?
Hwang Seong opened the first page of The Rise of the Tang Family with a racing heart.
“Whoa. The protagonist is actually from the Sichuan Tang Family!”
There hadn’t been any novels based on actual martial sects or families before, but they had all seemed dull and uninteresting to Hwang Seong. But a hot novel with a Sichuan Tang protagonist—now that’s intriguing.
With a pounding heart, Hwang Seong began to read.
The protagonist’s name was Tang Jung.
He possessed the Sichuan Tang Family’s martial arts—Poison Technique and Stealth Techniques—and was an upright young man overflowing with righteousness.
“A character like this isn’t very interesting.”
Hwang Seong frowned slightly.
It was obvious what would come next. Doing good deeds, facing hardships, doing good deeds again, encountering crises, and getting hurt like a foolish bear while repeating the same actions.
Why do such protagonists even go through this? It’s just frustrating the more he reads.
If it weren’t for his friend’s reaction, he would have closed the book right then. But he pushed his unease aside and kept reading.
“Oh! The number one beauty of Sichuan!”
Do they even rank beauties in Sichuan like that? What a phrase! The author must have come up with this clever idea.
Right after the upright protagonist came the most beautiful woman in Sichuan.
Although the protagonist seemed frustrating, being with such a woman would indeed be a delight.
Hwang Seong immersed himself in the story.
The number one beauty of Sichuan, Gu Suk-Jung. She was like a blossomed flower. Countless young men from the martial arts world trembled before her stunning appearance, trying to woo her and throwing flirty glances, but they were all rejected.
[Here. You dropped your handkerchief.]
[Thank you.]
One day, the protagonist, Tang Jung, picked up the beauty’s handkerchief and received her thanks.
[What? With a family that uses Stealth Techniques and Poison Technique! How dare you?]
[How dare you monopolize the smile of the number one beauty of Sichuan?]
The protagonist Tang Jung also fell for her at first sight, but he knew his place. An ordinary face, and even if he was from the leading family in Sichuan, his martial arts were frowned upon behind his back.
Young men more handsome and with stronger martial arts didn’t even catch her eye.
He couldn’t even dream of approaching such a beautiful woman, let alone harbor feelings for her. Tang Jung was tormented.
“Ugh. It’s like I’m just an ordinary guy.”
Hwang Seong did a double take and gradually found himself immersed in the upright protagonist, who had an ordinary face.
He wanted to approach her.
Thanks to having a woman in his heart, the protagonist achieved martial arts success quicker than anyone. Eventually, he earned the permission of the family elders to step into the martial world.
[The Color Demon appears in Sichuan!]
Countless women who fell victim to the Color Demon. Tang Jung was furious as he chased after the demon. In a twist, he discovered the Color Demon about to assault a woman.
Of all people, the woman the Color Demon was about to assault was none other than—
“You bastard! How dare you try to assault the number one beauty of Sichuan?!”
Gu Suk-Jung!
[You! How dare you touch anyone!]
[Young lady, run!]
The protagonist barely managed to save Gu Suk-Jung from being assaulted, but the Color Demon refused to let her go.
[Hehehe. How dare you interrupt my work? Is it because you’re just starting out in the martial world, and don’t know your place?]
The opponent was the Color Demon, who had killed numerous martial artists to assault women. Tang Jung’s martial arts skills were not enough to contest this foe.
[Young lady! My skills are lacking, so I can’t guarantee victory. However, if the Color Demon wants to approach you, he must first take my life.]
“Ugh. That’s cool. This is how a man should be!”
The protagonist’s uprightness was frustrating, but that kind of frustration was warmly welcomed.
The protagonist began a fight he probably wouldn’t win for the sake of the number one beauty of Sichuan.
Gu Suk-Jung could only look longingly at his vast back, willing to sacrifice himself for her.
[You! Can’t you do anything besides throw Stealth Techniques! How cowardly!]
[How can you, who plans to poison a fragile woman, talk about cowardice?!]
If it were an ordinary fight between martial artists, it would have been settled in a few moves. But this was the Sichuan Tang Family.
“The battle scene is so good that I’d believe it was written by someone from the Sichuan Tang Family.”
The protagonist maintained his distance, calmly targeting the Color Demon with his Stealth Techniques and immediately threw his consciousness to a weak point when he saw an opening.
[Hahaha! You think this old man will fall for mere child’s play?]
The Color Demon swiftly swatted Tang Jung’s Stealth Techniques like they were just leaves swaying in the wind, closing in on him. A deadly crisis.
“No way!”
Is he really going to fall to the Color Demon? Hwang Seong screamed involuntarily.
[Child’s play? Is Sichuan Tang Family martial arts merely child’s play?]
Despite Hwang Seong’s worries, the protagonist coolly laughed in return.
[Ugh! When did you set the spring traps? No, my body? You used Poison Technique!]
[Poison Technique is unique to the Sichuan Tang Family. To think you could use a babyish Poison Technique and be so arrogant!]
[Ugh! You bastard!]
[Come, step into my poisoned domain—.]
Such a calm demeanor! The Color Demon faltered.
The protagonist had laid down numerous spring traps without anyone noticing. Each Stealth Technique he threw came with an almost mystical angle, as if it had eyes.
Not to mention the so-called poisoned domain. There must be some hidden tricks left.
The Color Demon couldn’t gauge what the poison flowing in his blood was.
Should he risk everything to pursue the number one beauty of Sichuan? The dilemma was great but quick. There are plenty of women in the world. The Color Demon retreated rapidly.
[It was just a façade of confidence due to lack of options. Fortunately, it worked.]
“Wow! This protagonist! What a presence!”
To think Poison Techniques and Stealth Techniques could be this cool. Plus, the protagonist’s wit! Before he knew it, Hwang Seong had clenched his fists.
While Hwang Seong was satisfied reading, the true flavor of The Rise of the Tang Family was yet to unfold.
[Young lady is under the influence of spring drug! The lust consumes her, and the heat boils her body until her bones and organs melt away. It can only be resolved through an antidote or sexual intercourse, and the antidote is with the Color Demon.]
Spring drug? Such a poison exists? Hwang Seong was astonished at this unheard-of poison and flipped to the next page.
[If there happens to be a beloved partner nearby, please say so. I will carry the young lady to that beloved one.]
[Young lady, until now, I have never held a man close to my heart.]
[What should we do then?]
“Dude. Why so frustrating? Just strip her down already!”
At first, being upright seemed cool, but now that frustration was creeping in. Obviously, he should undress the woman just like other adult novels, right?
No way, they wouldn’t just part without undressing, would they? Hwang Seong focused his gaze and read the next line.
[However… just a moment ago, the young lady found her beloved.]
[What do you mean?]
Gulp. Hwang Seong swallowed hard.
[Young man, please, I beg of you, let me have my first time.]
And thus, the event began.
“Oooooh! For real! Is this madness? Is this insanity? Instead of the man undressing, the woman wants to undress him! What a plot twist! This is crazy! Hehehe!”
The extraordinary poison called spring drug. With that, the number one beauty of Sichuan directly desiring the protagonist. It was unbearably thrilling.
[Though we came together today, this is practically akin to assault. She was under the influence of the spring drug and desired me not out of love but compulsion. I will catch my Color Demon and come to ask for your forgiveness.]
A satisfying night. The protagonist, trembling with guilt, set off without waking the sleeping woman.
[Young man! Where have you gone? Young man!]
“No! You frustrating fool! Why are you running away?”
Hwang Seong shook with rage. He thinks it was assault?
“Even after the antidote? Huh? You did it with your heart! You had that moment!”
To think he got to experience that with the number one beauty of Sichuan and still thinks it’s assault!
Hwang Seong felt like he could cry out both above and below.
Fortunately, there was still a page left. No matter whether he wailed or laughed, Hwang Seong pressed on to read the remaining page.
“Preview of the next volume?”
After seeing the upcoming developments, he couldn’t help but say the same thing as his friend.
[The protagonist enters the finest brothel in Hubei. There, he encounters a courtesan who has never allowed anyone to touch her and is under the influence of spring drug.]
“Next vooooolume!”
