The Outcast Writer of a Martial Arts Visual Novel-Chapter 222: Normal Operations - 1

“You’ll need to hand the wages directly to the work-study students for the sake of appearances, so I’ll give you the payment slips for their wages.”

Full financial support for the work-study students’ wages? Just how much is that? I was so stunned by the Chair’s declaration that I couldn’t open my mouth right away.

Sure, the Chair used to be a high-ranking official and lives in a grand mansion, but I didn’t expect him to be this generous.

It’s an enticing offer.

Daseogak still has a lot of debt. And since I don’t know what’s going to happen next, saving money whenever I can is the smart move.

If I can hire competent workers for free, I should accept without hesitation.

But.

“Thank you for the offer. However, this system was something I proposed to help impoverished writers, so if I don’t pay them, I feel the meaning of it will be lost.”

Only a fool eagerly accepts a good offer right away.

No matter how appealing the offer is, etiquette dictates I show humility by turning it down once.

Of course, I don’t intend to reject it entirely, so I’ll leave a gap in my logic and let him convince me.

“Wasn’t it you who proposed the work-study system? You came up with it, convinced the literary society, suggested the funding, and publicly announced it. Even the court would credit a single individual for that much. I’m simply trying to support your will, so don’t feel burdened.”

“As a black-haired barbarian and an outsider to the literary society, I’m overwhelmed by such great support.”

So let me be less overwhelmed already.

Compared to my first refusal, I softened my tone, showing that I’d accept if he insisted just a bit more.

“Don’t reject it. Just take it. Instead, raise more money. Work harder in your business and expand your operations.”

“Sorry? What do you mean by that?”

“Didn’t you say you wanted to do business like Master Baek, leaving people behind? Then, like Master Baek did, you have to run a big business. Are you really content with just the top bookstore in Yichang?”

The Chair spoke in a tone that sounded like he already knew about my ambitions and was probing me to confess them.

Of course, I never planned to stop at just Daseogak.

Storm of the Tang Clan was certainly a success. But that success was limited to Yichang in Hubei Province, its surrounding cities, and the Sichuan Tang Clan.

It’s not enough to save the heroines from their tragic fates. To boost my fame points, I have to expand my business, grow my wealth and reputation.

“I also want to expand the business and reach more people. But I’m a black-haired barbarian living in Jungwon. It’s extremely difficult to run a large operation surrounded by strangers and prejudice against my kind.”

I have problems when it comes to business expansion.

Someone I can trust.

Running Daseogak alone is manageable, but operating a business enterprise is a different matter. If I had blood relatives or close friends I could rely on, that’d be one thing—but as a barbarian, there’s no one like that for me.

In front of the Chair, I beat my chest and lamented like a young man with grand dreams but faced with harsh reality.

“You know one thing but not two, my friend. I understand the hardship of having no one to trust. But once you leave people behind through business, do you think they’ll just stand by and do nothing?”

“You mean the work-study students?”

The Chair nodded at my question and continued.

“People, unless they’re just animals, never forget who helped them when times were hardest. Some may become writers. Some may enter government service. But some will have to give up their dreams and find work. If, at that moment, you reach out to them—who would dare turn you down?”

Make the work-study students your people and expand the business. That’s definitely a solid plan.

“Thank you for bestowing such enlightenment upon this young merchant.”

I bowed my head in gratitude for the Chair’s wisdom.

“Daseogak, Storm of the Tang Clan, work-study students, business philosophy. Watching you, I truly understand what they mean by the rear waves of the Yangtze push the front waves. Since I’m destined to be swept away by the river anyway, I’ll help the one who’ll carry on the will of Master Baek and myself—so give it your all.”

The rear waves of the Yangtze push the front waves—like the waves of the river, the old generation inevitably gets pushed out by the new. It’s a saying that expresses how no one can stand against the tide of time.

The Chair looked at me with a proud expression, perhaps sensing that he was becoming part of the past in the face of time’s power, and smiled bitterly.

“I don’t think the front waves are pushed away by the rear, but that they arrive at the vast ocean first and prepare to embrace the ones to come. That you would embrace my small conviction like this—I truly don’t know how to thank you.”

Looking at the Chair, I gave my thanks as someone from the new generation.

“Hahahahaha! I’m glad I didn’t meet you when I was in office.”

The Chair widened his eyes at my words, then burst into hearty laughter.

“Sorry?”

“I’d have either made you my man by any means... or, if that didn’t work, I’d have gone straight to His Majesty and warned him to ignore every word you say, calling it sweet when swallowed, bitter when spat.”

“Thank you for the compliment.”

“Hahaha. Alright. I’ll write the payment slips for the wages now, so take them with you.”

---------- 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

“I’ll start with introductions. Just your name and age is fine.”

The next day. I gathered the work-study students at Daseogak and made them do the mandatory new-semester self-introductions.

First up was Im Ha-yeon, whose face I recognized.

“Me? I go first?”

When I pointed to Im Ha-yeon, she opened her eyes wide in surprise.

“Um, I’m Du Eung-hyang.”

What the hell. At least be creative with your alias. Du Eung-hyang at Daseogak?

“Pfft!”

“Seriously?”

“The young lady sure knows how to joke from the start.”

“Then I’ll be Gu Suk-jeong.”

“Ah, um, I, actually my real name is Im...”

Trying to use her real name even though she’s a runaway courtesan. This girl is asking for trouble.

Sure, usernames often show up as taken, and naming characters is annoying—but your real name? That’s dangerous.

Ahem!

I let out a loud, awkward cough to catch Im Ha-yeon’s attention.

She looked at me, flustered. Use another name. So-so. Young-young. There are tons of common ones.

I shook my head to stop her.

“I—I’m Kang Ha-yeon. I’m 19. Nice to meet you.”

I chuckled with a bit of disbelief.

Why Kang? If you’re going to change it, change the whole name. You’re not working as a courtesan anymore, you’re working at a bookstore—just changing the family name should be enough for an alias.

So Im Ha-yeon is 19? Same age as So-hee.

Well, she did say she was an apprentice courtesan, so of course she wouldn’t be over 20. Like how idols debut in their late teens, in this world, courtesans also officially debut in their late teens.

“My name is Gu Suk-jeong! Just kidding—it’s Ha So-so. I’m 18! Nice to meet you!”

“My name is...”

“My name is...”

Maybe it was thanks to Im Ha-yeon’s slip-up, but the stiff atmosphere loosened, and everyone smoothly continued their introductions.

“Let’s start cleaning now!”

After finishing the introductions, I began cleaning with the staff.

“Everyone, shift positions and clean the dust in between everything. Make sure to wipe with wet rags too.”

“How did so much dust get on these books?”

“There’s a lot of dust. They need to look presentable, so clean them thoroughly.”

Man, having a lot of people really is nice. We’ll finish in no time.

----------

“We’ll finish early today.”

Just one more day of cleaning, and we’ll be ready to open.

The sun hadn’t set yet. Seeing the pace moving faster than expected, I stopped the work and announced an early dismissal.

“Really?”

“Wow! We’re done early!”

“I’ll head out first!”

“Ha-yeon sojeo.”

I called out to Im Ha-yeon as she was about to leave Daseogak for the day.

“Why.”

Did I look like some boss trying to stop her from clocking out on time? Im Ha-yeon gave me a suspicious look as she asked.

Should I just force her to do overtime? I briefly considered flexing my employer privileges, but instead decided to show her my benevolent side.

“Take this.”

I pulled out a small bundle from one corner.

“What is it?”

“Dumplings. I bought them earlier from a restaurant.”

“Why are you giving this to me?”

“Until next month’s pay comes in, things’ll be tough, right? Please make sure to eat.”

She came to Yichang with nothing. I did give her a bit of money, but she must have spent most of it on ink and brushes, likely skipping meals.

“You really don’t have to...”

I saw you inhaling that jjajangmyeon during lunch. The moment the tangsuyuk came out, your hands moved faster than your eyes. Move like that and you could probably rob a martial artist’s coin pouch, too.

Im Ha-yeon still seemed reluctant to accept help and stepped back slightly.

That so? Then I’ve got my own way.

“So you don’t faint while working, that’s why I’m giving it to you.”

I’ve more or less figured out how to deal with her. If the logic is sound, she accepts.

All I have to say is that it’s not because I’m your father’s sworn brother, but because I’m your employer.

“Fine. Then give it here.”

Looks like the logic worked. Im Ha-yeon nodded and accepted the bundle, then left.

Seriously, she’s a pain even to be kind to.

*****

“I must be out of my mind!”

Im Ha-yeon shouted while smacking her pillow inside her shabby inn room.

“Why?! Why?! Why did I say Kang Ha-yeon of all things? Ughhhh!”

She recalled the man’s smiling face. He must’ve noticed what family name she used.

Self-introductions—what the hell is even the point? Was this whole thing a setup from Kang Yun-ho just to mess with her? The memory of earlier made Im Ha-yeon shiver.

A completely unexpected start, and being the first to go only added to the panic. She couldn’t help but get flustered.

She didn’t even have a ready alias, so she went with Du Eung-hyang, the one she’d used last time, only to become an instant laughingstock. Then what—use her real name? Her mind had gone blank in the panic.

If that man hadn’t stopped her, she probably would’ve blurted out her real name.

What should I have done? I was too shocked. Im Ha-yeon, still mentally blank, could only picture herself and that man, Kang Yun-ho.

What name should I have said?

And so, the name she # Nоvеlight # barely managed to squeeze out was Kang Ha-yeon.

In foreign countries, women take the man’s surname after marriage, right? What if he misunderstands this weirdly?

That man’s a black-haired barbarian, so he might misread the situation. Im Ha-yeon kicked her feet on the bed in frustration.

Don’t get the wrong idea, okay? It’s not like that. I was just panicking. That’s all. Should I go and explain? No. That’ll make it worse.

Ugh! Seriously! It’s all because I spent too much money on ink and brushes!

She stared at the high-quality inkstone and brush set that didn’t match her shabby room at all.

At an event supported by the Literary Society, surely the judges would immediately notice if cheap materials were used.

Afraid of losing points, she had spent almost all her money on a better set.

And in the end, I didn’t even pass.

Recalling her rejection cooled her fevered mind.

She really thought she’d written something interesting. Thought it was good enough to win a prize. In the end, she didn’t even place in the encouragement awards.

The crushing disappointment she thought she’d buried weighed heavily on her again.

What if I hadn’t applied to the work-study program?

Is working under Kang Yun-ho really the right thing to do? She had debated endlessly before submitting the application.

What else would she even do? If she tried to return to being a courtesan, she’d be exposed as a runaway in no time.

Then what—thievery? No. She didn’t want to live like that man. She didn’t want to make others cry like he did.

She wanted to be a writer. Someone who covets others’ possessions could never bring them joy.

Then what is she supposed to do? Those were the only two things she ever learned. And now her money was nearly gone.

There’s nothing she can do.

Apply for the work-study program.

In the end, that was the only path left for her.

It was sponsored by the Literary Society anyway. That guy just helped out. Im Ha-yeon clung to self-justification.

But... what if Kang Yun-ho created the whole program for her?

In moments of hardship, she always found his face popping into her mind.

Maybe he’s not actually a bad person...

She remembered what he had said at the Literary Society.

— Becoming a writer is hard for anyone. But especially for those who don’t know if they’ll have food tomorrow.

— I, and the Yichang Literary Society, want to give hope to such people.

Words that struck straight to the bone. Enough to make her wonder if he had once dreamed of being a writer too.

Thinking he created the work-study program just for her was probably overthinking it. Still, he had reached out to someone in despair—just like Tang Jeong from Storm of the Tang Clan, whom Im Ha-yeon admired.

Maybe the chapter head was right—maybe he’s shrewd in business, but not a total scumbag...

When that thought crossed her mind, Im Ha-yeon suddenly jumped up in shock.

“Ugh! That villain who exploits Writer Ho-pil! I won’t let my guard down!”

He’s the disciple of that bastard. That alone guarantees he’s the worst kind of man. And he exploits the writer she respects—Ho-pil.

Stay sharp, Im Ha-yeon!

“...I’m hungry.”

All the thinking made her hungry.

Im Ha-yeon got out of bed and opened the bundle Kang Yun-ho had given her, biting into a kimchi dumpling.

Maybe it was because she had worked hard, or maybe because the man had chosen well—

But today, for some reason, they tasted especially good.

*********

We finished the cleaning in just two days.

“Cleaning’s done!”

“Manager! We’re all finished!”

“Good work, everyone. Now we can hang this sign.”

I pulled out the sign I had prepared and hung it up where everyone passing by the entrance to Daseogak could see.

[Daseogak. Normal operations resume starting tomorrow.]

Finally, it’s time to start again.