“Hey, what are you doing selling my book?”
In front of a bookstore in Chilgok County, I crossed my arms and confronted the bookstore owner.
It was true that I felt anxious since no one was looking at my book. But surely my novel wasn’t destined to fail.
Just one person needed to read it. Then, word-of-mouth would spread! That’s what I thought while waiting.
No way was the bookstore owner going to sell my book to a peddler.
“Are you saying I should just leave a book that no one’s even borrowed?”
“You agreed to leave it there in exchange for selling it cheap.”
“I’ve left it there for ten days! A peddler came in with new books, and now there’s no room. Who’s going to buy a book that hasn’t been borrowed? I should just sell it while I can.”
Even rental shops leave books on one side after the new release period is over, but selling it off?
It reminds me of a rental shop novel that I enjoyed but no one else did.
“Hey, when will volume 2 come in?”
“Oh, that? I just returned it.”
What’s it like to see your hard-written work getting returned from a rental shop? I didn’t know that feeling since I wasn’t a rental shop author.
No way was I about to experience that feeling here. My book getting returned? If it at least came back to me, I wouldn’t feel so wronged.
Where the heck did it end up selling?
“Where did the book end up going?”
“I sold it to a peddler heading to Wuhan.”
“Wuhan? That’s too far…”
I had written my pen name small at the corner of the cover of “Chronicles of the Wind and Cloud Heroes.”
Kang Mo
Kang Some—who is the most famous Kang Some in Chilgok County? It’s me, a storyteller from Joseon!
When my book becomes famous, they will surely come find me. Demanding a manuscript and offering money, I would immediately start churning out copies. I wouldn’t care if it was illegally copied.
They would be too curious about the contents of volume 2.
“Who on earth is the woman being chased by the villain? They said she’s beautiful, so will she really get involved with the protagonist? Can the protagonist from Mount Wu actually escape the villain’s pursuit?”
“Please, just give us volume 2!”
“I really want to see volume 2!”
“Haha, I don’t have the money to write volume 2!”
I rubbed my nose while jokingly saying that if they give me the money, I’d write it. It was a brilliant plan for my debut as a novelist in Chilgok County.
If my book becomes popular somewhere, the most famous Kang Some in Wuhan will be looking for me.
“Well, I guess I failed spectacularly.”
After a brief argument with the bookstore owner, I just walked out. There was no way I could recover the books that had already drifted away, so there was no need to get worked up over it. Besides, I was too hungry to be furious.
I sighed deeply while looking at the blue sky.
Honestly, I expected this.
I had high hopes thinking my novel would do well, but I knew it was unreasonable to expect fame from just one book written before I even started. I must have been too caught up in my happy delusions.
This is the problem with writers.
Once we write something, our mind goes into overdrive about happiness. Reality is, even after countless rewrites of the prologue, there are few that succeed.
I couldn’t analyze market trends, nor could I mass-produce books. And yet, I thought my book would succeed? That was foolish of me.
In this martial arts romance world, my first piece ultimately flopped big time.
Yet rather than feeling despair over this failure, I felt a sense of relief. I blew away my negative thoughts along with the sigh directed at the sky.
I may have failed, but I had not lost my purpose of escaping this world. I was just a bit hasty.
The light of the ending conditions in the dark still shines. If I move forward without rushing, I will eventually reach my destination. That’s what I believe; I just need to keep challenging myself.
“What should I do to earn a living now?”
Goals are goals. The future is the future. Regardless, the fact that the cartels of souls were destroyed remains unchanged. Now it was time to face the aftermath.
Fortunately, my body has fully recovered. The problem was that I had spent all my money making the book. I could survive on a lump of flour bread for another ten days, but it was time to get to work.
Should I start being a storyteller again?
If those Cheon Sal-pa guys swarm in again, it would be a problem.
Just as I was worried about that, someone approached me.
“Are you perhaps the famous Joseon storyteller around here?”
Who could it be? I turned around to see a middle-aged man. He had deep wrinkles on his face and hands, but wore neat and fine clothing.
Looks like he lives in a good house.
“Yes, I’m Kang Mo, currently working as a storyteller in the marketplace.”
“Oh! I found the right person. I’m the servant of Lim Gap-su, the head of the famous Gap-su merchant group in Chilgok County.”
“Gap-su merchant group? I think I’ve seen them around. What business brings such an important person to me?”
I remembered that they were a successful merchant group in Chilgok County. Didn’t they deal with silk?
“The thing is, a few days from now, we will be holding Mr. Lim Gap-su’s sixtieth birthday party. Could you share famous tales of Joseon at the marketplace that day? If you agree, I would like to invite you as a guest of the Gap-su merchant group.”
What a surprising offer! It feels like inviting a celebrity or comedian to a party right now.
I had a feeling this deal might be a big break.
“Of course! It’s only natural to attend Mr. Lim Gap-su’s sixtieth birthday party, considering he has contributed greatly to the community.”
“Oh! Then…”
You need to hear the whole story! I interrupted the happily brightened servant.
“But you see! As you may know, I am now somewhat famous in Chilgok County. People come to hear me tell stories every day, and I can’t help but question if it’s okay to disappoint those hoping to hear me if I go to the Gap-su merchant group that day…”
I said it indirectly, but the main point was this: is it okay if I forgo profits that day to attend?
It felt a bit guilty to say, especially after being out of business for fifteen days. But it was true I was popular. I’ve even been asked why I wasn’t working lately while passing through the marketplace.
“The Gap-su merchant group never lets its guests feel unsatisfied.”
The servant said in a somewhat serious tone. As expected of someone from the merchant group, he could discern hidden meanings.
He was implying they’d pay generously.
However, just because he expressed it vaguely, I can’t immediately agree.
There was someone who said if I go to his place, I’ll be treated well, only for me to end up being asked to go to an internet café together. Shouldn’t they at least treat me to a billiards hall or something?
The urgency was on their side so let’s negotiate a better deal.
“Of course, it’s not that I dislike becoming a guest of the Gap-su merchant group. On the contrary, it’s an honor. But there’s been something on my mind causing me to hesitate.”
“What kind of worry?”
“I’m not sure if you know, but I was sick and had to take a break from work for several days. While I’ve recovered, I haven’t been able to eat or sleep properly for days. I was worried I wouldn’t be able to tell a good story that day.”
I feigned a somewhat pained expression.
Alright, time to negotiate.
“Oh, is that so… Then how about becoming a guest of the Gap-su merchant group starting today? If you come and have proper meals and sleep, you’ll surely be able to tell great stories on that day!”
I’ll get to sleep not in a damp straw pile but in a rich man’s bed for several days?
I can’t pass that up.
“If you do that, I will put all my effort into delivering a stellar performance on the day of the birthday party.”
“Great! Shall we go together then?”
Awesome.
Finally, I can eat meat again. And at a banquet, I might even get to drink a little. My hungry stomach twists at the thought of food.
Isn’t life just a mix of fortune and misfortune?
Just a few days ago, I got robbed, beat up, and failed in my writing. But today, I’m being invited as a guest to a merchant group. I might just come away from this deal with plenty of cash and comfort.
Without showing my joyful expression, I followed the servant out with light steps.
———————————————————–
In a slum of Chilgok County.
Cheon Gi-ja was still seated there.
“My dear guest (鬼客) is late.”
It has been over two weeks since Cheon Gi-ja met Reverse Heaven’s Decree (逆天子).
Having come here believing fate would have him meet a noble guest and a ghostly guest, but the noble guest appeared easily while the ghost guest did not materialize.
It would be nice if he could at least tell fortunes for a bit, but recently some ruffians have been showing up, causing disturbances.
Were they from the Cheon Sal-pa or the Worm faction?
Thanks to them, even the few customers that had come by daily were no longer showing up.
“Old man, is anyone doing business here?”
They didn’t deserve to be called Black Knife. Such scum approached Cheon Gi-ja. He looked at one of the approaching Black Knife ruffians and opened his mouth.
“Your father passed away early, and your mother struggled to raise you.”
“How do you know that, old man? How could you possibly know?!”
The leader among the Cheon Sal folks, who had been threatening Cheon Gi-ja, paused to inquire.
When there’s a group of young hoodlums, usually at least one of them has a troubled family background. It’s not hard to find someone like that.
“You should go see your mother right now. You wouldn’t want to miss her last moments, would you?”
When Cheon Gi-ja spoke in a serious tone, the Cheon Sal thug hesitated for a moment.
“Old man, if you’re lying, you’ll pay for it with your life!! Let’s go!”
Did he realize something was off? Upon hearing that his mother was running out of time, the Cheon Sal thug led the others away.
After they vanished from view, Cheon Gi-ja opened his mouth again.
“Evil has reached the mother. He doesn’t know his place and has amassed too much karma. How could he torment someone weaker than himself so much, only to build up so much resentment? When his mother dies, the retribution will surely come back to him.”
Cheon Gi-ja gazed bitterly at the alley where the Cheon Sal thugs had disappeared.
As the sun dipped, twilight slowly descended upon the alley. The slum would soon be filled with the groans of the sick and the sounds of hungry people huddled up in sleep.
In the end, he had only met one free guest today.
As Cheon Gi-ja was about to pack up and leave, intending to put his tools in his bag…
“Hello.”
A woman appeared before Cheon Gi-ja.
Where did she come from? Just a moment ago, no one was around.
“A woman appearing at dusk isn’t a good omen.”
“Are you Cheon Gi-ja?”
Without responding to Cheon Gi-ja’s words, the expressionless woman asked about his identity.
“Yes, that’s me. Then who might you be?”
“Well, if you’re Cheon Gi-ja, then guess.”
She’s displaying such an attitude in front of me, who rarely hears a word. Instead of making light of her matter, her demeanor tightened Cheon Gi-ja’s nerves.
“Hmmm. A woman who arrives at a time when one cannot discern between a dog and a wolf. Normally, I’ve never had trouble telling them apart at this hour, but today it’s difficult to tell.”
“Can’t you see me clearly?”
The woman moved closer to Cheon Gi-ja so he could see her better.
“No, I meant I can’t tell if you’re a living customer or a ghostly one.”
“……”
At the mention of ghosts, the woman halted her steps.
“Even more so, you’re not even hiding your own murderous intent. I should greet you properly for my own sake.”
Seated Cheon Gi-ja casually nodded to the woman.
“Do you know who I am?”
At the woman’s question, Cheon Gi-ja’s expression hardened noticeably.
Could it be that he was about to encounter a ghostly guest?
A ghostly guest? Meaning, someone dead?
But she wasn’t dead.
She was someone who makes the living into vengeful spirits.
“Why wouldn’t I recognize the Heavenly Killing Star?”
She was the person Cheon Gi-ja had been waiting for.
She was the Heavenly Killing Star.
