I knew this day would come someday.
The protagonist I wrote about in The Rise of the Tang Family is a person from the Sichuan Tang Family. If the people from Sichuan Tang Family see it, they will surely react in some way.
Of course, I thought there was no need to worry from the start.
I am currently in Yichang, Hubei Province. The Sichuan Tang Family is located in the capital of Sichuan Province. Although Sichuan Province is right next to Hubei Province to the west, the distance is quite far.
For now, I’ll use the Sichuan Tang Family as a subject to capture the reader’s interest and add coherence to the story, becoming famous.
Only when The Rise of the Tang Family becomes famous enough to echo throughout Hubei Province will they come looking for me. I was thinking a bit too casually.
No way that such a day would arrive so quickly.
“What’s the matter?”
I asked the martial artist with purple hair, clearly a person from the Sichuan Tang Family, with a smiling face.
“As a martial artist from the Sichuan Tang Family, I need to know the author of this novel, The Rise of the Tang Family.”
As expected, he is indeed from the Sichuan Tang Family.
The man didn’t speak rudely like some impolite martial artist. But strangely enough, the way he spoke felt like a command.
His face wasn’t smiling nor angry but somewhere in between. I couldn’t tell whether he came with good or bad intentions.
“I cannot reveal my identity.”
“You’re the one who wrote a novel featuring a protagonist from the Sichuan Tang Family. Are you really saying you can’t reveal your identity right now?”
Would you reveal it if you were in my position? The martial artist from the Sichuan Tang Family emitted a strange aura as soon as he heard my refusal and lowered his voice. This guy is putting pressure on me right away. From his attitude, it didn’t seem like he came with good intentions.
If I were a civilian trained by a woman who could induce murderous intent that one cannot match in the Central Plains, I would’ve been terrified by such a small pressure.
I haven’t committed any great crime, so isn’t this too much?
The protagonist of The Rise of the Tang Family isn’t some third-rate villain from a drama; he has an upright character as a hero. Not to mention, I’m not the first author to use a protagonist from the Sichuan Tang Family.
Of course, the novels featuring the Sichuan Tang Family’s protagonist have all had sinister and gloomy characters, and their content has been dull as well.
What’s wrong with a protagonist who runs toward negotiations like a robust herbivore? Is it because the protagonist isn’t a herbivore in bed but rather a serpent?
“The publisher of The Rise of the Tang Family is Da Seogak. If you have any complaints about the book, please address them to me and not to author Ho Pil.”
“I already know that.”
The man smiled as if he had investigated everything, scanning me from top to bottom.
Have I been found out?
I stood in a position close to the exit, organizing books with a confused expression, as if I didn’t know what he was talking about. In the worst case, I would make a run for it.
The Rise of the Tang Family volume 3 is on the brink of being halted!
Tea and Book Club, assemble!
“What do you mean by that?”
“The author of The Rise of the Tang Family, Ho Pil. He’s definitely a person from the Sichuan Tang Family.”
“Haha. A person from the Sichuan Tang Family, you say?”
I let out a sigh of relief inwardly as I responded. Thankfully, he doesn’t know my true identity. You got it wrong, dude. But honestly, you’re half right.
“My eyes don’t deceive me. The content in the book mentions details that only a person from the Sichuan Tang Family would know.”
“Haha. Is that so?”
I replied to the man as if I didn’t understand what he was talking about.
“Are you really going to keep pretending you don’t know?”
The man exuded more pressure once again, closing in on me. What to do? As I pondered for a moment, I noticed Lady Tang approaching with a stiff expression from a distance.
“Hey. Don’t come here.”
I shot her a glance that the martial artist wouldn’t notice. She hesitated for a moment upon seeing my look.
Lady Tang, if you come, things will get really complicated. I shot her another urgent glance, signaling to hide behind the bookshelf.
“Why are you constantly looking behind you?”
As I continued to glance back, the martial artist turned to see what I was looking at. Fortunately, Lady Tang had hidden behind the bookshelf just in time to escape his line of sight.
“There are a lot of book thieves around.”
“Oh, I see. By the way, can’t you really tell me? This Ho Pil is definitely a person from the Sichuan Tang Family.”
The man pointed to the letters spelling Ho Pil in the book and pressed me again.
“As the shopkeeper of Da Seogak, I’m responsible for all the books published here. If there’s any issue with the novel, please do not seek to harm the author, Ho Pil, but instead talk to me.”
I spoke to him as if I were a good-hearted merchant supporting and protecting a virtuous author.
What do you want to do with Ho Pil? You don’t plan to drag him off for some biological experiment, do you?
Today, let’s conduct an experiment with pufferfish poison. How many pufferfish eggs can a person eat before they feel a thrilling sensation and not die? I tried three eggs yesterday, so let’s aim for five today. Got it? Oh no. I’ve died.
I briefly imagined myself undergoing biological experimentation at the Sichuan Tang Family and steeled myself that I would never reveal Ho Pil’s identity.
“Hahaha. Seeking to harm! I thought Ho Pil might have committed some kind of crime. Hahaha.”
The martial artist’s laughter was followed by an unexpectedly favorable response.
What’s this? You’re not planning some human experiment?
“Then why are you looking for Ho Pil?”
“I happened to read this novel yesterday and was so moved that I came to see you.”
“Is that so?”
“I’ve seen how the Sichuan Tang Family has suffered from so many accusations over time. Whenever the protagonist from the Tang Family appears, they’re portrayed as sinister individuals who scheme behind closed doors. What kind of faction is the Sichuan Tang Family! It’s truly infuriating, and I was so enraged until I read this novel, shedding tears of joy yesterday…”
“Indeed, the protagonists from the novels seldom have good personalities.”
Is it a cliché in this world as well that if a righteous faction schemes, it must be the Sichuan Tang Family behind it?
“On the other hand, what about this Rise of the Tang Family? Tang Jung is truly a righteous individual. The content of the novel was so enjoyable. Additionally, based on the book, it’s clear that it was written by someone from the Sichuan Tang Family. I believe it was written to dispel the prejudices and accusations against our clan, which is why I came here to discover your identity and show my support.”
“Haha. Is that so?”
“Yes. Can you finally reveal Ho Pil’s identity to me?”
The man again asked about Ho Pil’s identity with a smile. But I cannot reveal it. He may be pretending to be friendly while actually harboring dark intentions.
“Author Ho Pil wishes to maintain his anonymity.”
“Hahaha. I understand. It’s natural that a novel that paints his family in a glorious light wouldn’t want its author to be discovered. Hahaha.”
The man laughed heartily, probably thinking his guess was right.
“Thank you for your understanding.”
I replied with a vague statement that could be interpreted as either agreement or disagreement.
“Really, this novel is so entertaining and the protagonist is very charming. How is it that a person from the Sichuan Tang Family, with a character so unlike any of them—no, no, a true righteous person—managed to come up with such a story? Truly deserving of being one of our clan…”
The man rambled on about how impressed he was with The Rise of the Tang Family, possibly still in awe of the story.
“Well, I must head upstairs now.”
After listening to the man’s words for a while, I began to show signs of being busy.
“Then I would like to ask you one last question.”
The man’s expression tightened as I mentioned heading upstairs.
“Please, go ahead.”
He’s not going to try to catch me off guard and ask for my identity again, right?
“Cough, I have to return to Sichuan with my companions soon. Could I possibly get my hands on volume 3 in advance?”
The man asked shyly, avoiding my gaze.
“Oh, well…”
I awkwardly smiled and informed him that it was impossible.
“Being from our clan, even if the book hasn’t been published yet, surely you’d be joyful enough to give me volume 3….”
“I’m sorry, but I was told volume 3 isn’t completed yet.”
“That’s unfortunate. I’m really disappointed. How can I leave for Sichuan without getting volume 3? Well then, it can’t be helped. Since it’s so entertaining, I should buy a few more copies of volumes 1 and 2. Please ring me up.”
The man picked up several copies of The Rise of the Tang Family and handed me a gold coin.
“Here’s your change.”
“No need for the change. I don’t know who author Ho Pil is, but please pass along the extra money to buy a drink. I’m going now.”
The man breezed in like a storm early in the morning, cheerfully giving me back more change than the book cost, and left with a smile.
“Haah. I’ve aged ten years.”
Later that evening in a certain restaurant in Yichang, I ordered delicious food with the change given by the man, taking a long sigh of relief.
“Just call me next time.”
Lady Tang said with a slightly displeased expression.
“Things resolve themselves when you just stay quiet, so why would I call you?”
“It was dangerous.”
“It wasn’t dangerous. Besides, my plan to conceal Ho Pil worked as intended.”
The plan to hide the identity of Ho Pil, the author of The Rise of the Tang Family, isn’t merely to make the situation more entertaining. There are many benefits to keeping Ho Pil’s identity a secret.
Even if my circumstances improve, I’m still a black-haired barbarian.
Just because a black-haired barbarian wrote something, some people might start to wear tinted glasses regarding The Rise of the Tang Family.
Regardless of whether the pen name is something silly like Garlic Mushroom or Ho Pil, it doesn’t matter, as this world has plenty of funny pen names; but the problem arises with a black-haired barbarian actually writing.
Moreover, the more famous I become as author Ho Pil, the more troublesome situations I may find myself in.
It might be okay if I were a noble, a wealthy scion who writes novels. But as a mere black-haired barbarian, the narrative completely changes.
By hiding my identity, I can reduce such threats and annoyances from occurring in stories like today.
“Well…”
“For the time being, it’s enough to just use Ho Pil and the shopkeeper well. I wouldn’t want someone like you spilling the beans just because the other party lowers their voice a bit.”
Shifting the blame to Lady Tang is only a last-resort tactic for the most dreadful situations.
Lady Tang is a victim of the poison experiment. There’s a chance that if someone in the Sichuan Tang Family hears her story, they might come looking for her. I must avoid any news of Lady Tang reaching the Sichuan Tang Family.
If the situation escalates to the point where I have to throw Lady Tang under the bus, it wouldn’t just put her at risk but me as well.
“Hmm. You’re really thinking that far ahead for me?”
Lady Tang chuckled, oddly touched.
“Isn’t that a given? I wouldn’t sell out a friend just because I thought I might be in danger.”
When I’m in danger, what I should rely on is my situational awareness and wit, not a friend thinking of me.
“Uh… yeah. We’re friends, right?”
With a strange tremble on her smiling face, Lady Tang prolonged her words. Is there something weighing on her mind?
“No! Who is this? Aren’t you the shopkeeper from Da Seogak?”
As I was about to ask Lady Tang what was troubling her, familiar faces appeared beside us.
“Aren’t you the members of the Tea and Book Club? Did you come for dinner?”
“We gathered to enjoy a drink and talk about The Rise of the Tang Family.”
“Oh, I see.”
It’s fun to have a drink with like-minded people and chatter about a shared topic.
“It’s fate that we met here; let’s have a drink together. If it’s okay, we can have dinner and then go to the nearby Yogi Killu later…”
That sounds a bit tempting.
“Hey, Yoon Ho.”
Lady Tang’s low voice was sharper than that of the martial artist from earlier.
“I’ve got company.”
“Oh, I see. The shopkeeper lady is here too. Uh, then. I’ll go grab a bottle of alcohol, so let’s just share a few drinks!”
“Wait a moment! Over there!”
I couldn’t stop the member of the Tea and Book Club rushing to get the bottle of liquor.
