The Outcast Writer of a Martial Arts Visual Novel-Chapter 255: When It Rains, It Pours - 5

“What do you mean by defaulting on debt? Daseogak has been faithfully repaying its debts every month.”

It was clear now that the Ten-Thousand Gold Merchant Guild had taken over all the debts Daseogak owed to various creditors. But nothing about our repayments had changed.

It’s not like debt multiplies through some duplication bug or hatches like eggs.

Since I started managing Daseogak, not once have I missed a repayment date or paid less than what was due. In fact, once we had some breathing room, I began repaying even more than required.

There is absolutely no reason for anyone to accuse us of default.

“Please take a look at this document.”

The man, who appeared to be a clerk, handed me another document.

The contents listed the amount of debt Daseogak was supposedly obligated to repay.

“This document is inaccurate. This is not the amount of Daseogak’s debt.”

Do I look like some clueless rich kid who doesn’t know how to manage his own finances? Are you seriously trying to scam me right now?

“This is indeed Daseogak’s debt. It simply includes Baek Ok-bin’s liabilities as well.”

Baek Ok-bin? That name sounds familiar.

“You’re saying... Hwa-rin’s mother? Wait, are you telling me this debt isn’t just what Daseogak owes, but the entirety of the Baek Family Head’s debt?”

Daseogak’s debt came from the Baek Family. In exchange for acquiring Daseogak, I had agreed to take on half of the Baek Family’s debt.

“That is correct.”

The clerk nodded lightly, affirming it.

“Don’t be ridiculous! We already reached an agreement with the creditors last year. Daseogak is not obligated to repay more than half of the Baek Family’s debt!”

So debt really can be duplicated, huh?

“No, you are obligated. Because the creditor is now the Ten-Thousand Gold Merchant Guild. Our Guild wants Daseogak to repay all of the Baek Family’s debt.”

“How is that kind of absurdity even allowed?!”

“It is the Guild that legally holds the debt. The one making unreasonable claims right now is Daseogak.”

The clerk maintained an expressionless face and spoke in a thoroughly bureaucratic tone, showing no intention of compromise.

This is so absurd I feel like I’m about to fall into qi deviation.

They suddenly show up and demand I repay all of the Baek Family’s debt. If I can’t? Hand over Daseogak. What kind of nonsense is this?

Stay calm.

Getting agitated only clouds your thoughts. Activate the Soyoon Mental Resonance Technique. I’m not entirely free from the weight scale yet, but thanks to mental tranquility training, the heat rising to my head quickly cooled down.

Why did this happen?

Ten-Thousand Gold Merchant Guild. Daseogak. Problem. Nonsense. I rapidly traced the connections.

“Jeon Gil-san. That bastard?”

A startlingly calm fury escaped my mouth.

“.......”

“That bastard Jeon Gil-san pulled this crap just because he got humiliated in Yichang?”

Jeon Gil-san of the Manggeum Bookstore. If this is the scheme of that spoiled brat, it all makes sense. Did he run back to Wuchang throwing a tantrum with no shame?

Jeon Gil-san. You went this far just to get revenge. If that’s the case, I’ve got ways too.

‘Elder Jang of the Merchant Guild is a close friend of the Baek Family Head. There are plenty of ways to handle this.’

All I have to do is let this reach my grandfather’s ears. He’ll blow up, yelling, “What the hell have you done to my grandson?!”

“This was a direct order from Guild Leader Elder Jang.”

But the words that came out of the merchant guild clerk’s mouth were completely unexpected.

“You heard that, right? Wasn’t the Baek Family Head a close friend of the Merchant Guild Leader?”

“Guild Leader Elder Jang? Why on earth...?”

“Elder Jang is targeting Daseogak?”

Even the guests at Daseogak stirred at the shocking revelation.

“If you do not repay the debt immediately, we will seize Daseogak.”

But why?

Why is the Guild Leader going after Daseogak?

Before I could even shake off the shock, martial artists from the Ten-Thousand Gold Merchant Guild began entering Daseogak one by one from outside.

Set the questions aside. First, I need to make them leave.

“Stand down!”

“How did they even...?”

How should I stop them? As I hesitated, two elderly men pushed through the martial artists and appeared at Daseogak’s entrance.

Who are they?

“What do you all think you’re doing in my Yichang?! Cease this nonsense immediately!”

“The Chairman?!”

The men who broke through the martial artists were the Chairman of the Yichang Merchants’ Association and the Chief Steward of the Baek Family.

------------

The Chairman of the Yichang Merchants’ Association wielded immense influence.

Even the people of the mighty Ten-Thousand Gold Merchant Guild were forced to back off for now.

I moved to the tearoom with the Chairman and the Baek Family’s Chief Steward to discuss the situation.

“This was my oversight. I never imagined the creditors would pull something like this.”

The Baek Family’s Chief Steward lowered his head, looking as if he couldn’t bear to lift it.

“Do you know what exactly happened?”

“Do you recall when you returned to Yichang, and we discussed the creditors? After Lady Baek Ok-bin passed away, there was no way to recover the money, so the Guild bought the bad debt in full at a dirt-cheap price.”

“So the Ten-Thousand Gold Merchant Guild bought up worthless debt hoping to recoup their losses.”

After Hwa-rin’s mother passed, the creditors gave up since they couldn’t get repaid. I had assumed they dropped it for good. I never expected they’d sell it to the Merchant Guild.

Originally, it would’ve been uncollectible. But with the power and influence of the Merchant Guild, they must’ve thought they could just swallow Daseogak whole.

This is turning into a mess.

“But it’s strange. The Baek Family Head was a close friend of the Merchant Guild Leader. Elder Jang even came to Yichang personally to offer his respects. And now he’s trying to take the last remaining shop of his friend? One run by the fiancé of his friend’s granddaughter?”

The Chief Steward rubbed his forehead, visibly unable to comprehend the situation.

“The grandson came home, having been humiliated, and whined to his mother.”

It was the Chairman who answered the Chief Steward’s question.

“You mean Jeon Gil-san?”

“Like mother, like son. The Merchant Guild Leader’s daughter went to her father and complained just the same. Said they should cut ties with the Baek Family. That after all they had done, how could the Baek Family repay kindness with betrayal?”

“So that’s why the Merchant Guild Leader got involved.”

He must’ve left out the part about trying to kill me and his rampage in Yichang. All he would’ve said is that he got humiliated by an ungrateful, black-haired barbarian.

Then the story becomes: a kind and innocent grandson got scammed by a sly, dark-haired savage.

When the truth is, it was just a hardworking young man sincerely running a bookstore.

“No. The Guild Leader isn’t that kind of man.”

The Chairman said ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) firmly.

“You disagree?”

“He’s the kind of man who once harshly scolded even his own son, saying a loss in a merchants’ duel is a loss, no matter what. You think someone like that would personally step in over a mere grandson? That’s ridiculous.”

So the Merchant Guild Leader, who looked kindly, was actually a tiger of a man.

“Still, surely a grandfather would care more for a grandson than a dark-haired outsider. If the grandson was harmed, he’s bound to resent me.”

“No. That can’t be it. Every time I went to Wuchang, he praised you to no end.”

“He praised me?”

“What else do old men talk about? We talk about the changing times. And you, my friend, are the one who caused the most trouble in Yichang.”

“Ha ha.”

I appreciate the compliments, but now things are even murkier. Why is he going after Daseogak?

“Then perhaps...”

The Chief Steward seemed to recall something, stroking his beard and narrowing his eyes.

“Do you have a guess?”

“No, it can’t be. Just a foolish old man’s stray thought. Pay it no mind.”

He waved his arms as if embarrassed.

Like someone who remembered an awful dad-joke but held it back knowing it’d kill the mood. I nodded and continued.

“Regardless of whether the Guild Leader bears goodwill or ill-will toward me, the fact remains—he’s demanding full repayment now.”

I don’t have that kind of money. “Chairman, please use your influence.” I deliberately slumped my shoulders and put on a look of despair to appear weak.

“I’ll mediate. As Chairman of the Yichang Merchants’ Association, I can’t allow such unreasonable strong-arming.”

“If you do that, I will never forget your kindness.”

“But you must also consider what comes after. A debt is a powerful claim. And there’s no organization in Hubei more ruthless and effective than the Ten-Thousand Gold Merchant Guild when it comes to collecting debts.”

It’s a world where landlords take away fields just because a tenant failed to repay barley borrowed in the spring.

Even if their logic is outrageous, they’ve got wealth, power, and influence. If mediation fails, I’m in trouble.

It’s impossible to pay the debt in one lump sum.

But it’s also unfair to admit to a debt that’s more than doubled and plead for leniency.

And I can’t mobilize the Daseohoe people over something that happened in Wuchang either.

‘Should I contact Hwa-rin? No... asking the Tang Clan for help would be the worst option.’

Technically, Daseogak belongs to Hwa-rin. But involving the Sichuan Tang Clan would cause more problems.

From Sichuan to Hubei is a journey that would take months even just for a response. If this drags out, it could easily take over a year.

‘Worst case, they’ll tell me to return to the clan and live there.’

What’s the son of the Tang Clan Head doing in Hubei? Just come home and write your stories. That’s the one thing I want to avoid.

“I’ll block the seizure. But after that, you need a plan. What will you do?” 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

The Chairman looked at me as if testing me.

Of course I have no intention of giving up Daseogak.

This bookstore is something I barely managed to get onto the right track. Just when I’m about to soar, they dare try to break my wings?

I can’t pay the debt all at once.

I won’t shoulder a doubled debt either.

If I can’t rely on Daseohoe or the Tang Clan...

There’s only one thing I can do right now.

“I’ll go to Wuchang and meet Elder Jang myself.”

A head-on breakthrough.