Zhuge Family.
The martial artists of the Zhuge family, possessing truly versatile talents in fields like Medical Astrology, Forbidden Arts and Literature, Crafts and Miscellaneous Knowledge, and Trade and Cultivation of Plants.
They’re a clan that does everything they can to restore peace to the Martial Arts World whenever chaos ensues, but at the same time, they also lack distinctive martial arts skills.
And to think I’m writing about the protagonist of such a family.
Of course, I could ignore individuality and come up with a somewhat entertaining story just to please the Elders’ Council.
There could be a martial arts genius from the Zhuge Family or a blood stabbing prodigy. If not, a formation genius might pop up. But would that really be the right approach?
“I’ve decided to write about the protagonist of the Zhuge Family, so it should be a protagonist true to the Zhuge Family.”
As a writer, I have my pride. I can’t just settle for a mediocre compromise.
“A protagonist true to the Zhuge Family?”
“The biggest difference between the Zhuge Family and other clans is their balance of civil and martial skills. Naturally, an intelligent character and a detective protagonist are essential elements.”
My conclusion is that the protagonist of the Zhuge Family should star in a detective story. Perfect. Why didn’t I think of this sooner? I could have wandered aimlessly for a long time if it weren’t for Miss Zhuge.
“W-what’s a detective story?”
Oh right.
When I turned my head, Miss Zhuge was standing there with a look of complete confusion as to what I was saying.
It’s only natural for her to be puzzled.
“I’m not going to write about stories of martial artists like in my previous works; I’m trying to sidestep a bit and write a story about capturing a vicious criminal.”
Detective stories are modern genres. The very first detective story didn’t even appear until the late 1800s, so it’s no wonder she hadn’t heard of the genre.
“Are you talking about Color Demons like those from The Rise of the Tang Family?”
Miss Zhuge asked with an expression of curiosity that showed she was trying to understand the definition of this detective story.
“It’s similar but a bit different. If I had to say, it could be likened to Ho Pil’s story. It’s about a protagonist who uncovers the identity of a cruel murderer in a situation where no one knows the criminal.”
It would be unreasonable to expect her to understand a genre she’s never encountered before.
What kind of deduction, anyway?
Is there someone suspicious? Just put a knife to their neck and if it feels right, stab them in the belly. I live in a martial world of Do-san and Geom-rim, after all.
“Ah! Just like when Master Kang caught Baek Myeon-ho-ri?!”
Miss Zhuge’s reaction wasn’t what I expected.
“Yes, that’s exactly it! Just like when I caught Baek Myeon-ho-ri, the protagonist uncovers who the criminal is and eventually captures them in the story.”
She gets it quickly. Right. Miss Zhuge was there each time I caught the criminal. Considering she has seen how I operate, it’s only natural she’d grasp the concept of detective stories better than anyone else in this world.
“That’s why the name was Seolrok! Master Kang was the protagonist!”
Miss Zhuge finally looked at me as if everything clicked into place.
“Ah…”
I didn’t think she’d connect the dots that far. Miss Zhuge, you don’t need to remember every little joke I made.
“By the way, is Seolrok’s courtesy name Heom-ju? That’s your alias, Master Kang.”
“N-no! We’re not the same person. I’m just taking inspiration from him!”
I tried to awkwardly sweep it aside, but Miss Zhuge seemed to have figured everything out and nodded knowingly.
“You must have been studying beside the legendary Color Demons since you were a child. So those kinds of stories would naturally be a part of your life, right?”
“Y-yes, that’s correct.”
Miss Zhuge, I’m sorry. That was just a joke.
I can’t bring myself to say it.
Miss Zhuge’s eyes sparkle, filled with affection towards me and a fervent admiration for Ho Pil.
In front of such eyes, how could I say my previous setup is flawed?
Just accept it. It’s impossible to retract that now. Having reached this point, Kang Yoon-ho is the only survivor among the bizarre incidents where everyone else but the heroine dies.
“When Master Kang caught Baek Myeon-ho-ri, you were incredible! For you to write a story about that! Ho Pil, the author, writing the best tale of the legendary color demon’s experiences in Wuhan! How did you come up with such an idea?!”
“Thanks to you, Miss Zhuge.”
“M-me?”
When feeling shy, let’s both be shy.
With a dazed expression, I nodded with a warm smile toward Miss Zhuge, who was pointing at herself.
“Yes, just as you said, everything was already within me. It’s all thanks to you, Miss Zhuge.”
A chilly breeze came through the open window. The moonlit reflection made Miss Zhuge’s face glow as white as the moon.
“It’s really not that much.”
“It really is, Miss Zhuge.”
She shyly averted her gaze.
Before I knew it, my hand found its way to Miss Zhuge’s face. The feeling was so nice—soft and smooth like a baby’s skin—that I gently caressed her face with my thumb.
Everyone gets lost at times.
In the face of countless crossroads, they can struggle to find their way. Feeling anxious, they continue to waver.
Yet, simply having someone beside you who believes in you wholly can help one regain incredible calmness.
The moonlight reflected on Miss Zhuge’s fair skin began to blush bright. Unknowingly, I continued to caress her face as if making a territorial mark.
“Uh, uh, um…! The tea has gone cold, so I’ll go and change it!”
Perhaps I was too sudden. For a moment, Miss Zhuge seemed flustered, and she disappeared from the room with a speed unmatched.
That sight made me smile.
———
Zhuge Seolrok.
Having settled on the direction of a detective story, it was now time to think about the next issue.
“I need to write as quickly as possible.”
When you throw a topic out at a drinking party, the measure of a person’s literary talent is how quickly they can impress everyone.
Naturally, to impress the Elders’ Council, resolving the issue of the protagonist of the Zhuge Family quickly is paramount.
“Even though I’ve named the protagonist Zhuge Seolrok, that doesn’t mean I intend to write a story about ‘A Study in Scarlet.’”
The first episode of Sherlock Holmes – ‘A Study in Scarlet.’
I don’t have the ability to copy literary masterpieces down to the exact punctuation, nor do I have some supernatural copycat ability.
Of course, I’m not planning to write an exactly identical story either.
“All I can bring to the table is the character traits.”
Sherlock Holmes—The master of deduction.
Not by finding causes from results, but the purely unprecedented deduction abilities of Holmes, who uncovers causes from results.
Even if I can’t use the cases, I can certainly draw from the character traits of Sherlock Holmes, which have influenced countless detectives over the last century.
“Zhuge Seolrok…”
I quietly whispered as I took another step forward in designing my writing.
There’s a reason I want to attempt a detective story.
“If you want to be a son-in-law of the Zhuge Family, prove your literary talent!”
Unlike the poets of this era, who painstakingly revise every word to prove their literary talent, I can’t afford to do that. But that’s okay. I’m a web novel writer. There are other ways to prove my talent.
“A detective story is a genre no one would think of in this era.”
Miss Zhuge’s astonished reaction proves everything.
The one taking the first step.
The one walking on a path of detective stories that no one has ever taken before can prove their literary talent merely by that effort.
“I have to make full use of my strengths.”
To prove my literary talent, let’s utilize all the strengths I possess as a web novelist. But I have a problem brewing that needs a detective story.
“There are always ways.”
It’s not like my strengths lie solely in being a writer.
———
“Those elders are causing a ruckus from above. The youngsters are being stubborn. It’s never a peaceful day.”
In the Head Family Hall of the Zhuge Family, Zhuge Geuk sighed deeply, recalling the events that happened a fortnight ago when he was asked to write about the protagonist of the Zhuge Family.
“To come here to ask for a marriage proposal and then to be rejected. I still don’t understand what went through his head.”
Having vowed to do anything to marry his daughter, rejecting the Elders’ Council’s proposal left Zhuge Geuk’s wife, Jang Young-young, increasingly worried about her troublesome daughter and son-in-law.
“Honey, every man has that pride that no one should touch. Especially when it comes to Ho Pil.”
“Wait, are you defending him now?”
It was surprising to Jang Young-young to hear her husband stand up for her son-in-law.
“Ahem! A man must have his own backbone. If a man is to be the head of the family, he must be able to distinguish between the lines that he must uphold and the lines he can concede.”
Kang Yoon-ho can bend slightly, but Ho Pil’s brush cannot be broken. Zhuge Geuk thought about how Kang Yoon-ho had stood boldly before the Elders’ Council and couldn’t help but smirk.
“Is that why you mediated between them?”
“It’s fine to be stubborn, but it’s also important to know when to compromise and what you can gain.”
Standing up against the Elders’ Council to maintain pride isn’t bad, but if there’s something to gain from them, that’s even better.
It was merely advice born from years of experience. Zhuge Geuk awkwardly justified his stance to himself.
“Indeed. You’re right, as always. Well done.”
Jang Young-young embraced her husband, proud of him.
“Ma’am, what if someone walks in?”
“Isn’t it just natural, as the head of the family?”
“It seems like we used to get more entertaining reactions back in the day.”
Her voice sounded almost like that of a playful young girl from decades ago, expressing wistfulness.
“What exactly do you mean by back in the day?”
“Sometimes, I wish I could go back to those days.”
“At times like this, you should be paying attention to more important matters.”
“Our daughter needs to change, just like you did. Will she change once she gets married?”
“I-I wasn’t that much of a troublemaker.”
“Who said you were?”
“Ooh…”
Arguing with someone who knows all about your past is just a waste of time. Especially more so with someone you love.
Zhuge Geuk inwardly waved the white flag and moved on to the next topic.
“So, what’s that kid been up to lately?”
“Who? Your son-in-law?”
“My dear.”
Zhuge Geuk’s eyebrows twitched.
“Still being stubborn, I see. You shouldn’t be cursing the elders either. Your son-in-law has already been holed up in his room for over a fortnight.”
“Does it seem like he’s got any kind of breakthrough?”
His wife’s seemingly nonchalant voice was laced with curiosity. She noticed the books by Ho Pil that were sitting on her husband’s desk but decided not to mention them.
“If you’re curious, why don’t you go get to know your son-in-law better? The Elders’ Council has been visiting him too.”
“The Elders’ Council? Aren’t they supposed to stay out of this?!”
Zhuge Geuk exclaimed, sounding as if he would dash off to the Elders’ Council immediately.
“Let it be. It seems our son-in-law has been so charming with his words that they can’t help themselves.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“It seems the metaphor of the Seven Treasures has worked too well. The elders left some gifts for our son-in-law, asking him to write!”
“The elders?!”
“They’re simply trying to excuse themselves by claiming they aren’t like those lowlife characters from Joseon. I heard Elder Oh even brought dumplings because, as a Joseon person, he thought why wouldn’t he enjoy kimchi dumplings?”
Even if he liked kimchi dumplings, they still wanted to enjoy the diverse flavors of the Zhuge Family’s dumplings, Jang Young-young added.
“Goodness… I’ll need to remind them not to visit too frequently.”
“Indeed. When have you ever spoken up about it?”
Zhuge Geuk casually continued the conversation with his wife, speculating about what kind of dumplings their son-in-law liked and whether their daughter was staying out too late with him.
“Head of Guards.”
The Head of Guards opened the office door.
“What is it, Head of Guards?”
“I’ve come to relay a request from Master Kang. And also, I have this month’s key issues report and preparations for receiving guests.”
The Head of Guards placed the report in his hand onto the desk.
“A request? What sort of request?”
“Master Kang has asked for a printing press.”
“A printing press? What does he suddenly need a printing press for?”
Only a fortnight had passed since I had mentioned the issue.
Isn’t a printing press something needed for making books? If Ho Pil isn’t a writer with a printing press, then he’s only written a few words at this point.
What could be the rush for a printing press now?
“Master Kang said that the rough draft is almost complete and requested the preparation in advance.”
“W-wait, is he really finishing the rough draft in just half a month?!”
Zhuge Geuk could only respond with a look of disbelief at the Head of Guards’ answer.
